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Tampa Bay Lightning on The Hockey News
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov Falls Short at NHL Awards
By Michael DeRosa,
2 days ago
Victor Hedman speaks with media following 7-0 shutout win against the Flyers (0:49)
Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov had a historic 2023-24 season. In 81 games, he posted 44 goals and a league-leading 144 points. He also made NHL history, becoming the first winger ever to record 100 assists in a single season.
However, Kucherov's magical season only led to him adding another Art Ross Trophy to his resume. At the NHL Awards Ceremony last night, Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon took home both the Hart Memorial Trophy (137 first-place votes) and the Ted Lindsay Award. Kucherov, on the other hand, finished second for the Hart, receiving 50 first-place votes.
It always felt like a two-man race between Kucherov and MacKinnon for the Hart. While Connor McDavid had a sensational regular season, posting 32 goals and 100 assists in 76 games, both Kucherov and MacKinnon hit the 140-point mark. MacKinnon ended the year with 51 goals and 140 points in 82 games.
While Kucherov had more points than MacKinnon, both the Hart and Ted Lindsay voters felt that the Avalanche superstar had the superior season. In terms of consistency, MacKinnon hit an unreal level, becoming the first player to record two separate 19-game point streaks in a single season. With that, he started the season with a 35-game home-point streak.
While MacKinnon was incredible, Kucherov's season was just as impressive. He was the main reason why the Lightning made the playoffs in 2023-24, as he had 54 more points than Brayden Point - the club's second-leading scorer. Point had a great season, too, posting 46 goals and 90 points in 81 games.
Ultimately, it is understandable that MacKinnon won the Hart and the Ted Lindsey, but Kucherov also deserved them. Simply put, we saw two historic seasons from the two superstars, and it will be fun to see how each of them performs in 2024-25 from here.
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