FIRST STAR – NIKITA KUCHEROV, RW, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Kucherov, who will play host to Pastrnak and the Bruins in tonight’s 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, SN, TVAS), paced the League with 22 assists and 31 points in 13 games (9-22—31) to lift the Lightning (34-14-4, 72 points) into first place in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference on the strength of an 11-1-1 January (23 points) – Tampa Bay’s fourth-highest point total in any calendar month behind December 2018 (13-0-1, 27 points), February 2019 (12‑1-2, 26 points) and January 2004 (11-3-2, 24 points). January marked Kucherov’s third career 30-point month, after April 2022 (14-17—31 in 16 GP) and December 2018 (9-21—30 in 14 GP), making him the eighth player in NHL history to achieve the feat at least three times. He found the scoresheet in 12 of his 13 appearances, highlighted by a League-best 10 multi-point performances including: his eighth career five-point effort (Jan. 3 at SJS: 1‑4—5), two four-point outings (Jan. 10 at PHI: 2-2—4 and Jan. 24 at CBJ: 1-3—4) and a pair of three-point games (Jan. 1 at LAK: 1-2—3 and Jan. 20 vs. SJS: 0-3—3). The 32-year-old Kucherov additionally ranked among the top January performers in even-strength points (1st; 20), power-play assists (1st; 9), power-play points (1st; 11), even-strength assists (2nd; 13), plus/minus (t‑5th; +14), even-strength goals (t-9th; 7) and goals (t-13th; 9). The two-time reigning Art Ross Trophy winner sits third in the League with 27-55—82 overall this season (48 GP), also placing among the leading NHLers in points per game (2nd; 1.71), assists (2nd; 55), even-strength assists (2nd; 36), even-strength points (2nd; 57) and multi-point performances (t-2nd; 29).
