It wasn’t long ago that the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov was questionable to play on Friday in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals against the New York Islanders. He had only played 46 seconds during Game 6 the previous Wednesday before he was forced to leave the game with an unknown injury (thought to be a rib issue).
Now, with Game 1 of the Finals under his belt, Kucherov leads the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs in scoring with seven goals and 23 assists (for 30 points) in 19 games. What’s it going to take to stop him? That’s the Montreal Canadiens’ big question.
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Kucherov Comes Back Strong from an Injury (or Was It?)
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has to hope that whatever the Canadiens do to his high-scoring star won’t keep him out of any game. Not that the Lightning don’t have the horses, just that Kucherov is the stallion of the group.
Last Friday, after playing less than a minute in Game 6, Kucherov played 16:29 in Game 7. When asked if there was any lasting effects from Game 7, Kucherov acted a bit confused by the question.
Kucherov responded: “There was no injury. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He added, “I felt good and there was no question I was going to play that night.”
Then Came Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals
Obviously, Kucherov wasn’t kidding about not being injured. During Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, he scored two goals and added one assist in his team’s 5-1 win over the Canadiens. The high-scoring right-winger picked up all three points during the third period as his team pulled away from the tenacious but under-skilled Montreal team. Those points halted a two-game pointless streak, but it also got the attention of the Canadiens’ captain and physical defenseman Shea Weber.
It wasn’t lost on Weber that Kucherov is leading the Stanley Cup Finals’ points race with 30 points; however, probably anything before this series didn’t much matter to Weber or any of the other Canadiens’ players. It probably also doesn’t matter that much either that Kucherov is the odds-on Conn Smythe favorite as the MVP of the playoffs.
What matters is stopping him from scoring. Perhaps Weber took the first step towards that goal late during the third period when he slashed Kucherov. Obviously, it didn’t go unnoticed by those in charge of NHL Player Safety. Weber was fined the maximum amount of $5,000 for his slash. That was probably the first of many attempts by the physical and defensive-minded Canadiens, who are out-talented by the Lightning roster.
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What Happens During Game 2?
Here’s guessing that Weber’s stick isn’t the last one to land somewhere on Kucherov’s body. Here’s also guessing that the Canadiens will try to do anything possible to stop the Lightning’s leading scorer. What’s a $5,000 fine among friends?
There’s no doubt that Kucherov is used to such treatment. He scored two goals prior to the slash and then added an assist on the power play that resulted. Game 2 should be a physical contest. It’s the only game the Canadiens can play and hope to win, but it’s also likely that the Lightning will respond in kind.
It promises to be an entertaining game if you’re a fan who likes to see two teams beating on each other. There’s no doubt that round one of the Stanley Cup Finals Montreal Canadiens Weber vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov went to the Russian star. Get ready for round two.
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