Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week after totaling eight points (2 goals, 6 assists) in three games to help push the Lightning to a 2-1-0 record. He joins Minnesota Wild [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild] forward Kirill Kaprizov and Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] goaltender Lukas Dostal. The 32-year-old forward recorded three assists in a 4-1 win over San Jose on Jan. 20, then scored in regulation and added the shootout winner in a 2-1 victory against Chicago on Jan. 23. He capped the week with a four-point effort (1 goal, 3 assists) in an 8-5 loss to Columbus on Jan. 24, marking his fourth four-point game of the 2025-26 season. As the Lightning prepare to host the Utah Mammoth on Monday, Kucherov [https://www.nhl.com/lightning/player/nikita-kucherov-8476453] ranks third in the NHL with 78 points (26 goals, 52 assists) in 46 games and has points in five straight contests. He also leads the league in January scoring with 27 points (8 goals, 19 assists) in 11 games.
