The forward had a goal and three assists to help power the Lightning to their seventh straight win, a 6-2 victory against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on Thursday. The win extended Tampa Bay's point streak to 16 games (15-0-1), the longest in the NHL this season. The longest point streak in Lightning history is 18 games (14-0-4) in 2003-04.
Tampa Bay, which has not lost in regulation since a 3-2 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 27, is one of four different teams since 2008-09 to have a point streak of at least 16 games, joining the Boston Bruins (18 in 2017-18, 16 in 2013-14), Columbus Blue Jackets (18 in 2016-17), Chicago Blackhawks (24 in 2012-13) and Vancouver Canucks (17 in 2010-11).
The Lightning (32-7-2, 66 points) opened a 12-point lead for first place in the NHL standings against the Toronto Maple Leafs (26-12-2) and Calgary Flames (25-13-4). This marks the first time in the expansion era and the eighth time in NHL history a team has led by at least 12 points in the NHL standings at the midway point of its season.
This also marks the second instance of a team holding a lead of at least 10 points at the midway point of a schedule consisting of at least 80 games; the Montreal Canadiens held a 10-point lead against the Philadelphia Flyers through their 40th game in 1976-77.
Kucherov is a huge reason for Tampa Bay's prolific run; he has 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) in a 12-game point streak, including multiple points in seven straight games (21 points; six goals, 15 assists) and a goal in five consecutive games.
He is the second player this season with multiple points in seven games in a row; Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews did it from Oct. 3-15 (16 points; 10 goals, six assists). The only other player in Lightning history to do so was Vincent Lecavalier, who had multiple points in eight straight contests from Nov. 3-19, 2007 (21 points; seven goals, 14 assists). Lecavalier is the last player to score multiple points in more than seven games.
Kucherov, who leads the NHL in scoring with 69 points (20 goals, 49 assists), is the eighth player since 1993-94 to have at least 69 points through 41 games of a season and first since Jaromir Jagr had 72 points with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1999-2000.
Kucherov became the first member of the 2011 NHL Draft class with more than 400 points in the League. He has 403 points (167 goals, 236 assists) in 406 games.