FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the verge of dropping their fourth straight playoff sequence.
Nikita Kucherov’s efficiency — particularly his lack of ability to attain objectives — is an enormous cause for that.
The NHL’s main scorer has gone 14 consecutive postseason video games with out a purpose. He’s additionally gone 10 straight playoff video games towards the Florida Panthers with out scoring.
Kucherov has solely two objectives in his previous 23 postseason video games.
Shutting down Kucherov is not any small feat. He has extra scoring titles than Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. He snatched three Artwork Ross trophies within the coronary heart of Connor McDavid’s prime.
Kucherov nonetheless has 4 assists within the 4 Battle of Florida video games — three of them got here in Sport 3, Tampa Bay’s solely victory — however the celebrity has regarded pissed off all through the sequence and, typically, has been contained.
What’s the key to shutting him down?
“There is no such thing as a secret,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice insisted on Tuesday afternoon. “If there have been, we’d have figured it out three years in the past.”
Maurice additionally mentioned that, whereas the Panthers respect Kucherov, the Panthers don’t isolate on him — identical to they didn’t isolate on McDavid in final season’s Stanley Cup Last.
Slightly, the Panthers simply play protection the way in which they play protection.
Possibly that’s the secret.
“You’re speaking about an outlier,” Maurice mentioned of Kucherov. “His cross choice and his shot choice are totally different than anybody else. I don’t suppose there’s anybody else within the recreation like that.”
Kucherov, Maurice defined, tends to make passes (forehand and backhand) that different gamers sometimes don’t make. Name it hockey IQ or creativity, however it’s Kucherov’s present. There’s a versatility and a sneakiness to his offensive assault.
So, sure, he’s an outlier.
“McDavid is an outlier, that velocity,” Maurice continued, evaluating two of hockey’s nice gamers. “However we don’t do something particular.”
That’s as a result of what they do works towards nearly each nice participant. Merely put, Florida performs smothering protection and has such dimension on its blue line that star gamers not often thrive towards the Panthers.
Maurice admitted as a lot.
“Our whole recreation is based on our potential to shut,” Maurice mentioned. “We don’t have quite a lot of stretch in our recreation. It’s all about hole.”
The Panthers are by no means shy about being bodily, and it doesn’t matter who the opposition could be.
Based on Sam Reinhart, the scenario doesn’t matter, both.
“The type we are attempting to play, it doesn’t matter what the core is,” the Panthers ahead mentioned. “We’re attempting to play aggressive, take away their time and area. Keep on our toes.”
Kucherov discovered the arduous method within the very starting of this sequence. Throughout the first interval of Sport 1, Kucherov was battling with a Florida participant alongside the boards when Matthew Tkachuk leveled him with a excessive hit. Tkachuk acquired a penalty, however he despatched a crystal clear message.
Florida gamers harass Kucherov usually. When a possibility to hit Kucherov presents itself, Florida’s surly protection takes it.
The Panthers’ trigger is helped as a result of they make use of among the recreation’s best defensive forwards — gamers reminiscent of Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand and Reinhart.
“All people has a recreation plan,” Maurice mentioned.
Nevertheless, the Stanley Cup-winning coach mentioned, that doesn’t assure success in shutting down gamers.
Maurice then referenced his personal star participant, Barkov, who additionally has been held off the rating sheet.
“Barkov hasn’t scored a purpose but, however I wouldn’t think about him locked down,” Maurice mentioned. “The highest-end guys find yourself scoring sooner or later.”
Normally, sure.
In opposition to Florida, in fact, that isn’t at all times the case. And it definitely hasn’t been the case for Kucherov.
In contrast to Barkov, Kucherov must pile up factors to assist the Lightning win. Barkov is so sensational defensively that he may go with out a level in a sequence and nonetheless assist the Panthers succeed.
Whereas Kucherov’s greatness isn’t fully confined to factors and objectives, he in the end is one among hockey’s best gamers due to his extraordinary offense.
As soon as upon a time, he was additionally a dominant playoff performer.
In Tampa Bay’s outstanding three-year run from 2020-22, Kucherov led scoring within the postseason, placing up an astonishing 91 factors in 70 video games. So, he’s carried out it earlier than.
However he hasn’t carried out it in three consecutive postseasons, and he definitely hasn’t had success towards the Panthers.
Not solely is Kucherov with out a purpose on this sequence, however he has additionally registered simply 5 pictures on purpose in 4 video games. He has one shot apiece in every of the three earlier video games. He was particularly ineffective within the third interval in Sport 4, when Tampa Bay was given a five-minute energy play whereas main 2-1.
Kucherov couldn’t find his customary passing lanes and regarded particularly pissed off throughout that energy play, slamming the bench door when he lastly made his method again there.
Florida is giving him no time and is bullying him at each alternative. Even when he doesn’t have the puck, Kucherov is getting a nudge to the again or a slash to the again of the leg.
Maurice warns that gamers reminiscent of Kucherov are liable to erupt at any time. Given his offensive presents and proficient teammates, Kucherov is overdue. Nothing about his efficiency, although, has regarded threatening.
“You by no means have them locked down or out of a sequence,” Maurice mentioned.
To date, that hasn’t been the case.
Notes
• The Panthers are awaiting phrase on a possible suspension to Aaron Ekblad, who has a listening to with the NHL Division of Participant Security in a while Tuesday due to his hit on Brandon Hagel.
• Florida defenseman Niko Mikkola has been fined $5,000 for a boarding infraction in Sport 4 — he was given a five-minute main and was ejected from the sport — however won’t be suspended.
• Florida held an elective follow on Tuesday earlier than heading again to Tampa for Sport 5, which is scheduled for a 7:35 p.m. ET puck drop at Amalie Enviornment on Wednesday.
• The Lightning, with their backs towards the wall in a 3-1 gap, didn’t follow on Tuesday.
(Picture: Carmen Mandato / Getty Photos)
