Will Nikita Kucherov be the next NHL player to hit 1,000 career points? The Tampa Bay Lightning [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/]picked up an impressive 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues/] on Thursday night (Dec. 19). With this, they have now won four straight games and have jumped up to third in the Atlantic Division standings. While Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/latest-news/lightning-defenseman-playing-for-bigger-role-this-season] did not get on the scoresheet, he did provide the Bolts with a big boost. The 23-year-old defender dropped the gloves with Brayden Schenn, much to the excitement of the Lightning crowd. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExNTMyMTMyMjI3NDkwOTc1/usatsi_25029000.jpg] After Lilleberg threw a hard hit on Schenn, the Blues captain challenged the Lightning defender to a fight. From there, both players threw some punches before Lilleberg earned the takedown. Lilleberg has proven that can handle the rough stuff in the NHL, as his 35 penalty minutes and 50 hits this season effectively display. This certainly was a good scrap from the 2021 fourth-round pick.
