The Edmonton Oilers’ stint against the Sunshine State teams ended in consecutive heartbreaks. The Oilers had barely recuperated from a 4-0 shutout loss to the Florida Panthers when the Tampa Bay Lightning handed them a 5-2 defeat on Saturday. With two goals and two assists against Edmonton, Nikita Kucherov led the charge for the Lightning and, more significantly, surpassed Connor McDavid as the leading point-scorer in the NHL.
Steven Stamkos on the Difference Between Nikita Kucherov and Connor McDavid
The term “generational” is frequent in the NHL community. Still, without a doubt, if there is someone who has owned it over his entire junior and professional career, it is McDavid. The Oilers captain is not just a blessed hockey player; he is hardworking, committed, passionate, and relentless. McDavid remains driven to win a Stanley Cup with the Oilers.
Despite his exceptional talent and undeniable impact, if there is one NHL player who has rivaled McDavid this season, it is Kucherov. Kucherov has made a case for greatness this season, toppling McDavid to become the league point-leader with 118 points over 64 games with the Lightning. The veteran winger could also be in contention for a second Hart Memorial Trophy, according to NHL.com.
Steven Stamkos’ long-time partnership with Kucherov has enabled him to witness the winger up close. According to Stamkos, what the 32-year-old winger does on the ice is no less than art. “I think if you ask players around the league, he’s probably one of the players that guys say that they enjoy watching because it’s not as obvious as blowing by someone on the ice or making a power move like MacKinnon. I mean, it’s kind of like an art.”
Stamkos further explains that while McDavid is a superior skater, Kucherov does many things better. “He doesn’t skate like Connor (McDavid) does, but he does a lot of other things that some of these guys can’t do, right?”
What stands out is Kucherov’s propensity for learning. The winger watches videos of star players like McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Patrick Kane to see what they do better and to pick up useful skills and moves by observation. The 32-year-old uses the same methods to identify his opponents’ weaknesses.
“I can put the puck in a place where he’s [a defenseman] weak and attack that space, attack his weak spot. For me, I had to learn, I had to watch the clips. Maybe some guys go out drinking. I just want to watch the shifts,” Kucherov admitted in an interaction with The Athletic in 2022.
At the end of the day, perhaps what makes Kucherov stand out is his lifelong commitment to learning and bettering himself, as if he were just starting a hockey career.
