NHL57 min ago2 minute read

Nikita Kucherov Takes Top Spot on Lightning All Time Scoring List

Nikita Kucherov surpassed Steven Stamkos to become Tampa Bay's all time scoring leader on Saturday night against Utah.

The EagleEyeOdds deskWritten from the match data, checked against our model before it goes out

A historic night in Salt Lake City

Nikita Kucherov made franchise history on Saturday night against the Utah Mammoth. The 33 year old winger set up a power play goal in the first period when Brayden Point poked in his rebound.

That assist gave Kucherov his 1,138th career point, pushing him past Steven Stamkos to become the all time scoring leader for the Tampa Bay Lightning. His teammates ran onto the ice right away to celebrate with him.

Kucherov reached 1,138 points, with 405 goals and 733 assists, in 890 games. Stamkos held the previous mark with 1,137 points in 1,082 games. The reigning Hart Trophy winner now has four goals and 10 assists so far this season.

Respect from around the league

Head coach Jon Cooper has led Tampa Bay to two Stanley Cup titles since taking over in March 2013. Cooper called Kucherov the smartest player he has ever coached. He remembered a film session where Kucherov made him rewind the clip to point out things Cooper had missed.

Kucherov entered the league as a second round pick in 2011. He scored his first NHL point on his first shot against New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist on Nov. 25, 2013. He recorded his first assist one month later and is now the franchise leader in assists as well.

Opponents respect his style too. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar called him a wizard with the puck who buys time for his teammates. Colorado defenseman Josh Manson noted that Kucherov calms things down and relies heavily on deception to find open passing lanes.

What it means for the next game

Here is how our model looks at the upcoming games for Tampa Bay:

Winnipeg Jets at Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL, Thu, 29 Oct): Tampa Bay Lightning win 71%, Winnipeg Jets win 29%; projected score Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Winnipeg Jets 2. Our safest pick: Jets +3.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Nashville Predators (NHL, Sat, 31 Oct): Nashville Predators win 38%, Tampa Bay Lightning win 62%; projected score Nashville Predators 3, Tampa Bay Lightning 3. Our safest pick: Under 8 goals.