By his own admission, Nikita Kucherov needs to be better.
Already without Steven Stamkos, the Tampa Bay Lightning simply can't survive if the offensively gifted Russian forward doesn't find his game, and soon.
Kucherov, who led the playoffs in goals through two rounds, has been held without one in the Eastern Conference final, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are also doing a fine job of limiting his shots.
| Round | Opponent | Games | Goals | Assists | Shots/Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Wings | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | Islanders | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4.4 |
| 3 | Penguins | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Nikita Kucherov (TB): 0 goals in series..hadn’t gone longer than 1 game without a goal this postseason prior.
— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) May 20, 2016
"I've got to be better," Kucherov said Thursday. "Everybody's got to be better."
True, the Lightning as a group have faltered over the past two games against the Penguins, affording Pittsburgh a bevy of transition opportunities off turnovers.
But it was Kucherov who led the team in scoring with 66 points in 77 regular seasons games, and who appeared on the verge of super stardom through the first two rounds of the postseason.
Since the beginning of 2014-15, and including the playoffs, only seven players have scored more than Kucherov's 78 (according to Corsica Hockey). In order for the Lightning to even the series and return to the Stanley Cup Final, they'll need him to add to that total, ideally beginning in Game 4 on home ice.
