“Only another player could do this.” Kucherov returned from injury and delighted América
Sergey Emelyanov November 21, 2023, 08:06 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Tampa was saved in the game against Boston five seconds before the final siren and then won in overtime.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins approached the head-to-head meeting at Amalie Arena on short winning streaks that lasted two games, one of which was expected, inexorably and naturally, to be snapped today. Lightning’s Russian goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevsky is already in the final phase of his recovery, but so far he has not yet participated in matches. In his absence, Swedish goaltender Jonas Johansson took over the Lightning’s back line for the sixth consecutive time.
In turn, Boston had an interesting story today. Throughout the first part of the NHL season, you can set your watches against the Bears’ goaltenders. For 16 games in a row, Swede Linus Ullmark and American Jeremy Swayman played strictly in turns, replacing each other after each game, regardless of the result and the demonstrated quality of the goalkeeper. By this logic, Ullmark was supposed to play today, but for the first time this season this order was broken and Sveyman appeared in goal for the Bruins for the second game in a row. After the game, Boston coach Jim Montgomery explained this turn of events by saying that Ullmark needed additional recovery.
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In the first half the teams exchanged goals. Tampa forward Tanner Jeannot’s goal was answered three minutes later by visiting Czech forward Pavel Zaha. We had to wait half an hour until the next goal of the game, and at that moment the coaching staff and all the Lightning fans could already put their hand in their pocket for Valocordin. The thing is that midway through the second half, the Lightning’s top scorer, Nikita Kucherov, went to the locker room.
After scoring 27 points in 17 games during the current regular season, the 30-year-old forward was injured in a seemingly harmless situation in a duel with Bruins standout defenseman Charlie McAvoy. The Russian forward had a lot of difficulty getting to the bench and missed the last nine minutes of the second half.
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However, after the break, Nikita returned to the ice and Tampa was already ahead (2-1) after a goal by Nick Paul, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev, which extended the point streak to three games. In the third period, events began to develop rapidly. Only 80 seconds were enough for the Bears to not only regain their footing, but also take the lead for the first time in the game: David Pastrnak and John Beecher scored.
Tampa recovered quickly thanks to the efforts of Austin Watson, but Charlie Coyle put the Bruins ahead again and then came the climax of the game. In the last attack of the home team, Swedish defender Victor Hedman showed maximum skill for the first time, managing to close the zone in a difficult situation: at the very edge of the blue line he managed to volley the puck, leaving it under the control of his team .
The puck was picked up by Brandon Hagel and passed to Kucherov, who skated to the goal line and from there, with a luxurious pass, cut through the five opponents, getting Steven Stamkos to make a saving throw. The Rayo captain made a touch and sent the game to overtime 4.8 seconds before the final siren. The 33-year-old Canadian, who has spent his entire career in Tampa, saved his team from defeat for the second time in his career in the final 10 seconds of regulation. Throughout the entire existence of the NHL, only Mario Lemieux, Bill Guerin and Wayne Simmonds (3 each) scored more such goals in the last 10 seconds of the third period.
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“There’s probably only one other player in the league who can make a pass like that. If he could,” Stamkos said of Kucherov’s move.
“I was pleasantly surprised when he came back because we thought he was injured. But as soon as we walked into the locker room after the second half, he said, “Oh, no, I’m coming back.” I think he gave strength to the boys.
Your transfer? He’s just a talented player. These players are capable of doing those things,” Tampa coach John Cooper noted, commenting on the effect Kucherov had on the team with his return to the ice.
After such a crazy and dramatic result, Tampa simply couldn’t lose this game. Overtime was short-lived and ended 79 seconds after the throw-in. Hedman put Hagel one-on-one with Sveyman with a clever pass and the Canadian forward won the duel with the American goalkeeper.
Video rights belong to NHL Enterprises, LP. You can see it on the NHL website.
Tampa earned a decisive victory, extending its winning streak to three games. Boston, despite the loss, also extended its point streak to six games. During this period, Montgomery’s team won four games and lost two overtime games. The Bruins continue to occupy first place in both the NHL Eastern Conference and the overall North American league standings.
