The month of January was good to the Tampa Bay Lightning, or rather the other way around, thanks to an 11-1-1 record and 23 points.
The driving force behind it all: Nikita Kucherov, of course, who was named the NHL’s First Star of the Month after logging 31 points in 13 games (9—22—31), leading the Lightning to the top of the Eastern Conference.
January marked Kucherov’s third career 30-point month, making him the eighth player in NHL history to do so at least three times. Tampa Bay’s 23 points is also good for their fourth-highest point total in a single calendar month, right behind December 2018 (13-0-1, 27 points)—the season the Lightning won the Presidents’ Trophy.
The perennial All-Star finished the month first in even-strength points (20), power-play assists (9) and power-play points (11). He’s currently third in total points (90) behind only Connor McDavid (95) and Nathan MacKinnon (91).
Up next for Kuch: a Thursday night date with the Florida Panthers at Benchmark International Arena before a break for the Winter Olympics.
