Where is Nikita Kucherov? How Panthers silenced Lightning’s star

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the verge of losing their fourth straight playoff series.

Nikita Kucherov’s performance — specifically his inability to score goals — is a big reason for that.

The NHL’s leading scorer has gone 14 consecutive postseason games without a goal. He’s also gone 10 straight playoff games against the Florida Panthers without scoring.

Kucherov has only two goals in his past 23 postseason games.

Shutting down Kucherov is no small feat. He has more scoring titles than Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. He snatched three Art Ross trophies in the heart of Connor McDavid’s prime.

Kucherov still has four assists in the four Battle of Florida games — three of them came in Game 3, Tampa Bay’s only victory — but the superstar has looked frustrated throughout the series and, in general, has been contained.

What’s the secret to shutting him down?

“There is no secret,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice insisted on Tuesday afternoon. “If there were, we would have figured it out three years ago.”

Maurice also said that, while the Panthers respect Kucherov, the Panthers don’t isolate on him — just like they didn’t isolate on McDavid in last season’s Stanley Cup Final.

Rather, the Panthers just play defense the way they play defense.

Maybe that is the secret.

“You’re talking about an outlier,” Maurice said of Kucherov. “His pass selection and his shot selection are different than anyone else. I don’t think there’s anyone else in the game like that.”

Kucherov, Maurice explained, tends to make passes (forehand and backhand) that other players typically don’t make. Call it hockey IQ or creativity, but it’s Kucherov’s gift. There is a versatility and a sneakiness to his offensive attack.

So, yes, he’s an outlier.

“McDavid is an outlier, that speed,” Maurice continued, comparing two of hockey’s great players. “But we don’t do anything specific.”

That’s because what they do works against almost every great player. Simply put, Florida plays smothering defense and has such size on its blue line that star players rarely thrive against the Panthers.

Maurice admitted as much.

“Our entire game is predicated on our ability to close,” Maurice said. “We don’t have a lot of stretch in our game. It’s all about gap.”

The Panthers are never shy about being physical, and it doesn’t matter who the opposition may be.

According to Sam Reinhart, the situation doesn’t matter, either.

“The style we are trying to play, it doesn’t matter what the core is,” the Panthers forward said. “We’re trying to play aggressive, take away their time and space. Stay on our toes.”

Kucherov found out the hard way in the very beginning of this series. During the first period of Game 1, Kucherov was battling with a Florida player along the boards when Matthew Tkachuk leveled him with a high hit. Tkachuk received a penalty, but he sent a crystal clear message.

Florida players harass Kucherov regularly. When an opportunity to hit Kucherov presents itself, Florida’s surly defense takes it.

The Panthers’ cause is helped because they employ some of the game’s greatest defensive forwards — players such as Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand and Reinhart.

“Everybody has a game plan,” Maurice said.

However, the Stanley Cup-winning coach said, that doesn’t guarantee success in shutting down players.

Maurice then referenced his own star player, Barkov, who also has been held off the score sheet.

“Barkov hasn’t scored a goal yet, but I wouldn’t consider him locked down,” Maurice said. “The top-end guys end up scoring at some point.”

Usually, yes.

Against Florida, of course, that isn’t always the case. And it certainly hasn’t been the case for Kucherov.

Unlike Barkov, Kucherov needs to pile up points to help the Lightning win. Barkov is so sensational defensively that he could go without a point in a series and still help the Panthers succeed.

While Kucherov’s greatness isn’t completely confined to points and goals, he ultimately is one of hockey’s greatest players because of his extraordinary offense.

Once upon a time, he was also a dominant playoff performer.

In Tampa Bay’s remarkable three-year run from 2020-22, Kucherov led scoring in the postseason, putting up an astonishing 91 points in 70 games. So, he’s done it before.

But he hasn’t done it in three consecutive postseasons, and he certainly hasn’t had success against the mighty Panthers.

Not only is Kucherov without a goal in this series, but he’s registered just five shots on goal in four games. He has one shot apiece in each of the three previous games. He was especially ineffective in the third period in Game 4, when Tampa Bay was given a five-minute power play while leading 2-1.

Kucherov couldn’t locate his customary passing lanes and looked especially frustrated during that power play, slamming the bench door when he finally made his way back there.

Florida is giving him no time and is bullying him at every opportunity. Even when he doesn’t have the puck, Kucherov is getting a nudge to the back or a slash to the back of the leg.

Maurice warns that players such as Kucherov are liable to erupt at any time. Given his offensive gifts and talented teammates, Kucherov is overdue. Nothing about his performance, though, has looked threatening.

“You never have them locked down or out of a series,” Maurice said.

So far, that hasn’t been the case.

Notes

• The Panthers are awaiting word on a potential suspension to Aaron Ekblad, who has a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety later on Tuesday because of his hit on Brandon Hagel.

• Florida defenseman Niko Mikkola has been fined $5,000 for a boarding infraction in Game 4 — he was given a five-minute major and was ejected from the game — but will not be suspended.

• Florida held an optional practice on Tuesday before heading back to Tampa for Game 5, which is scheduled for a 7:35 p.m. ET puck drop at Amalie Arena on Wednesday.

• The Lightning, with their backs against the wall in a 3-1 hole, did not practice on Tuesday.

(Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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