What a match for Kucherov! Showed the NHL champion, regaining the lead in the scoring race
Maxim Makarov March 20, 2024, 08:20 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Nikita scored four points and gave Tampa its fourth consecutive victory.
Nathan MacKinnon, who played his next game two hours earlier, scored a point and increased the lead over Kucherov to three points. Let’s see how Nikita responded to the Canadian scorer.
The match began with a crazy three-move “Vegas” in the spirit of Soviet hockey of the best times: Aichel, Theodore and Marchessault thought out perfectly in three.
Video rights belong to NHL Enterprises, LP. You can see it on the NHL website.
The home team’s advantage grew, but, curiously, it was the majority that broke it: Hagel and Cirelli ran two to zero and beat Hill. And just three minutes later, Rayo took the lead: Duclair scored after a pass from Kucherov.
Video rights belong to NHL Enterprises, LP. You can see it on the NHL website.
Normally in the second half the game opens up due to the distant benches, but today the teams did not consider it a convincing argument, spending almost all the time in the middle zone and near the boards. But Vegas found a vulnerability in Tampa’s defense and Brett Howden sent the puck between Vasilevsky’s pads.
And in the third period, Tampa’s most effective combination worked: Kucherov found Point, who sent the puck into the near top corner.
Video rights belong to NHL Enterprises, LP. You can see it on the NHL website.
The Golden Knights quickly tied the score thanks to Hutton’s shot, but soon Kucherov and Point caught the home defense off guard again: Nikita used a hybrid icing, and Braden got ahead of the Las Vegas defenders and carefully sent the puck between the Hill pads.
Video rights belong to NHL Enterprises, LP. You can see it on the NHL website.
The Knights eliminated the goalkeeper at the end, but this did not help: Nikita Kucherov overtook Theodor in a sprint and sent the puck into the net.
Video rights belong to NHL Enterprises, LP. You can see it on the NHL website.
The Las Vegas head coach had questions about this puck, but after a video review, the referees did not see the high stick play and counted the goal.
Thus, Tampa achieves its fourth consecutive victory and Nikita Kucherov today has four points and is ahead of Nathan MacKinnon on the list of top scorers.
