Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov reacts to setting epic franchise record

Nikita Kucherov wasn’t the only one to speak about the feat after the game. Lightning forward Nick Paul gave his thoughts about his team’s superstar forward. And he dropped a rather eye-opening claim about his perception around the NHL.

“He’s always the best. I think he’s underrated,” Paul said, via Shirley. “He’s getting more attention this year for what he’s doing but, since I’ve gotten here, just watching him play, it’s just magical.”

“He’s special. He’s a special player. You watch him play and you try to do it in practice and it looks nothing like what he is doing out there and he’s doing it in games. His vision, his skating, his hands, his shot, his deception, you name it. You watch him play and it is crazy,” Paul continued on Wednesday night, via Shirley.

Kucherov is slowly climbing Tampa Bay’s all-time leaderboards. He currently ranks fourth among Lightning skaters all-time in goals, assists, and points. Only Steven Stamkos has more goals, assists, and points among active Tampa skaters at this point in time.

Nikita Kucherov and the Hart Trophy race

Nikia Kucherov has already won a Hart Trophy as league MVP. This year, though, he has a chance to do it again. However, he faces some stiff competition. Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon are right on his tail in the Hart Trophy race.

Kucherov leads the NHL with 130 points. That said, MacKinnon has 127 on the year to this point. His dominance this season has helped the Avalanche clinch another playoff berth this season. Colorado is currently second in the Central Division, trailing the Dallas Stars by three points.

McDavid, meanwhile, is third in the league with 126 points. His turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. The Oilers appeared to be one of the worst teams in the league at the beginning of the season. However, Edmonton has righted the ship. They are now second in the Pacific Division with 95 points.

As for Nikita Kucherov, his team is fighting for their playoff lives. They have not clinched a berth yet, but they have the inside track. Tampa holds the top wild-card spot in the East by nine points over the Washington Capitals. With the regular season ending, seeing how Kucherov rounds out his regular season performance and caps off his Hart Trophy case will certainly be interesting.