Nikita Kucherov was tough in last night’s final game.
Nikita Kucherov is one of Tampa’s key players. Zumawire / MVPHOTOS
Tampa Bay Lightning took their opening victory in this spring’s Stanley Cup final series.
The crushing 6-2 performance gave everyone a reminder of the skills of the team that won the previous two championships. The team also received job mail in the match.
Nikita KucherovPerhaps the most important single player in the Tampa Bay diamond hard team, left in the middle of the match after having had a tough tackle.
Colorado Avalanche Devon Toews gave the Russian toughness at the end of the third installment. In the playoffs of this season, Kucherov, who scored 7 + 19 power points in 20 matches, left the locker room under protection and was no longer seen on the ice or in the substitute during the match.
Of course, this can be a pure precaution. Tampa Bay clearly had decided to counter-attack when they could.
The rigging caused a lot of laundry. At the Tampa camp, Kucherov’s possible injury was refused to comment, but the message to the Avs camp was clear. That is not acceptable.
Victor Hedman criticized Toews’ tackling as dangerous. However, he does not believe the NHL will take on a role at this point with a possible ban on play.
– Let’s see what happens. Probably nothing will happen, Hedman said at a post-match press conference.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper refused to disclose after the match whether Kucherov will be sidelined for future matches in the final series.
– You are looking for an answer to a question that everyone in this hall knows. This is a contact game. Smart, intriguing players know what they’re doing, Cooper spun around.