Kucherov fastest to 100 points since 1996-97
Tampa Bay right winger Nikita Kucherov‘s goal in the second period against Buffalo on Thursday night gave him his 100th point of the season, making him the quickest to that milestone in more than 20 years.
Kucherov, who leads the NHL in scoring, reached the century mark in the Lightning‘s 62nd game when he finished a 2-on-1 with Tyler Johnson for his 30th goal of the season. He’s the fastest to 100 points since 1996-97, when Mario Lemieux did it in the Penguins’ 61st game.
It’s Feb. 21 and @86Kucherov has 100 points.
The 25-year-old @TBLightning forward is the first player in 22 years to hit 100 points in 62 or fewer games – Mario Lemieux did so in his 61st game in 1996-97. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/Vb2VoUwCrw
“That was a special moment,” Kucherov said.
“He’s a remarkable player, and he’s having an amazing season,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
Steven Stamkos and Kucherov scored in the shootout, giving Tampa Bay a 2-1 win and 100 points on the season. The Lightning, who ran their winning streak to eight on Thursday, are the fastest team to 47 wins in NHL history.
Nikita Kucherov became the fastest player to 100 points in a season since Mario Lemieux, and he and Steven Stamkos scored in the shootout to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 on Thursday night.
Kucherov, 25, is in his sixth season with the Lightning and has now reached 100 points for a second straight year. A second-round draft pick of the Lightning in 2011, he is one of three Tampa Bay players — along with Brayden Point and Stamkos — among the NHL’s top 10 scorers.
Kucherov, who now has four consecutive 30-goal seasons, becomes the sixth active player to record consecutive 100-point seasons, joining Joe Thornton, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin and Connor McDavid. He is also the fourth Russian-born player to record consecutive 100-point seasons in NHL history, joining Pavel Bure, Malkin and Ovechkin.
“I think I quit getting impressed [by Kucherov] at the start of the year,” Johnson said. “It’s just expected now.”
Information from ESPN Stats and Information and The Associated Press was used in this report.