Lightning 'should win' Stanley Cup, Kucherov says

CHICAGO -- Nikita Kucherov picked his Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup this season.

"I think we have everything and we should win," the 25-year-old forward said during the NHL Player Media Tour on Friday.
Kucherov wouldn't go so far as to issue a guarantee the Lightning would win the Cup, but his belief in them being the favorite was clear.
"Yes," he said. "We're good enough."
The Lightning are returning most of the team that finished last season with 113 points and reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final but lost to the Washington Capitals, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Forward Chris Kunitz is the only player who played in Game 7 against Washington, a 4-0 loss, who has left Tampa Bay; the 38-year-old signed a one-year contract with Chicago Blackhawks on July 1.
Kucherov, who had an NHL career-high 100 points last season (39 goals, 61 assists) in 80 games, said he thinks the Lightning are better now because of their recent Stanley Cup Playoff disappointments.
In addition to losing to the Capitals last season, Tampa Bay lost in the Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games in 2016, and lost in the Stanley Cup Final against the Blackhawks in six games in 2015. Tampa Bay didn't make the playoffs in 2016-17.
"So, basically, we lost to the best teams in the League, and every time I talk to anybody they would say, 'The Final would be easier to play against somebody else instead of you guys,'" Kucherov said. "It's like, jeez. They were thinking we would have been the tougher opponent.
"I hope we're going in the right direction. Everything looks like we're going to."

Kucherov said the Capitals are an example for the Lightning, pointing out that they finally broke through and won the Cup last season.
Washington made the playoffs in nine of the previous 10 seasons, never got past the second round, and was knocked out by Pittsburgh three times. The Capitals eliminated the Penguins in the second round last season before defeating the Lightning in the conference final and the Vegas Golden Knights in the Cup Final.
"I'm seeing what they went through and that's I think what we're going through right now," Kucherov said. "Hopefully one day soon we're going to be talking about us as Stanley Cup champions."