Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Nets opening goal Tuesday

Kucherov scored a goal on five shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Canucks.

Kucherov already has four goals and an assist through two games, and he's added 11 shots on net. The 31-year-old winger has avoided the slow start that's plagued some of the league's other superstars, though that advantage has been mitigated by a limited schedule so far after the Lightning's original home opener was postponed by Hurricane Milton. Kucherov produced a career year in 2023-24 with 44 goals and 100 assists over 81 regular-season appearances. It was also the first time he topped 300 shots on goal (306) and the second time he exceeded 50 power-play points (53). That raises some risk of regression, but Kucherov remains a clear top-five player in the NHL.