Nikita Kucherov (© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a massive 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of their first-round series. This was undoubtedly needed for the Lightning, as a loss would have put them down 3-0 in the series. Instead, they only trail 2-1 now and have the chance to tie up the series in Game 4 with another victory.
Nikita Kucherov was a major reason for the Lightning's victory, as No. 86 recorded three assists in the matchup. With this, he joined some elite company with a truly incredible stat.
According to NHL Public Relations, Kucherov became just the seventh player in NHL history to record at least 30 multi-assist playoff games after his clutch three-assist afternoon. The only other players to accomplish this feat are Wayne Gretzky (72), Mark Messier (40), Sidney Crosby (32), Doug Gilmour (32), Ray Bourque (32), and Paul Coffey (31).
Kucherov joining these legends of the game with this outstanding stat shows just how special of a talent he has been for the Lightning. The 31-year-old is continuing to build on his Hall of Fame-worthy career, and it will be fascinating to see what he does next.
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