Kucherov, Nikita

SM-liiga (Finland):
JYP 2 @ Tappara 1
Riku Helenius, JYP, Win, 32/33, 1.00 GAA, .970 sv%
Season totals: 18 GP, 12-6-0, 6 SO, 1.44 GA, .937 sv%

Riku Helenius stopped 32 shots in his first game back from a shoulder injury to lead JYP to a 2-1 lead over Tappara. Ex-Lightning forward Eric Perrin scored JYP's opening goal. JYP draws Pelicans Lahti next on Tuesday.

KHL (Russia):
Mytischi 3 @ Cherepovets 0
Vasily Koshechkin, Cherepovets, DNP
Season totals: 22 GP, 11-8-0, 2 SO, 2.57 GAA, .919 sv%

Vasily Koshechkin did not dress for Cherepovets' 3-0 loss to Mytischi. Ex-NHLer Nikolai Zherdev had a helper in the match for Mytischi. Cherepovets draws Novgorod next on Monday.

Traktor Chelyabinsk's first game since the U20 WJC's is on Monday against Magnitogorsk. We'll see if Nikita Nesterov makes his KHL return in that match. CSKA's next match is against Khabarovsk on Sunday, but in all likelihood Nikita Kucherov will return to CSKA's MHL side. CSKA Jr. returns to action Monday against Astana Jr.

Elitserien (Sweden):
Lulea 1 @ MODO 3
Johan Harju, Lulea, 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 0 SOG
Season totals: 35 GP, 12-6-18, +5, 10 PIM

Ex-NHLer Niklas Sundstrom had 1 goal and 1 assist to lead MODO to a 3-1 win over Lulea. Lulea draws Brynas on Thursday.

Bronze Medal Game
Canada 4 @ Finland 0
Brett Connolly, Canada, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 3 SOG
Tournament totals: 6 GP, 5-1-6, +4, 4 PIM

Coyotes first rounder Mark Visentin stopped all 27 shots he faced to lead Canada to the Bronze Medal in their 4-0 win over Finland. Brett Connolly was held off the scoresheet for the first time in the tournament, but was named one of Canada's three best players in the tournament as selected by the coaches. He'll head back east now to rejoin the Lightning.

Gold Medal Game
Sweden 1 @ Russia 0 (OT)
Nikita Kucherov, Russia, 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Tournament totals: 7 GP, 2-5-7, +4, 2 PIM

Nikita Nesterov, Russia, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 0 SOG
Tournament totals: 7 GP, 2-3-5, +7, 6 PIM

Ottawa first rounder Mika Zibanejad scored an overtime breakaway goal to earn Sweden its first Gold Medal in 31 years at the U20 World Junior Championships. Lulea netminder Johan Gustafsson, a Wild 6th rounder and a teammate of overage Lightning prospect Johan Harju, made 16 stops for the shutout. Draft eligible Andrei Makarov, who currently plays for Saskatoon in the WHL, stopped an amazing 57 of 58 shots in defeat. Lightning prospects Nikita Kucherov and Nikita Nesterov will be eligible to return next season for Team Russia in Ufa at next year's tournament. Nesterov finished tied for 3rd amongst defensemen in scoring and tied for 6th in plus/minus.

Semifinals
Canada 5 @ Russia 6
Nikita Kucherov, Russia, 1-0-1, -2, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Tournament totals: 6 GP, 2-5-7, +5, 2 PIM

Nikita Nesterov, Russia, 1-0-1, -1, 2 PIM, 1 SOG
Tournament totals: 6 GP, 2-3-5, +7, 6 PIM

Brett Connolly, Canada, 1-0-1, -1, 0 PIM, 6 SOG
Tournament totals: 5 GP, 5-1-6, +4, 4 PIM

In the mother of all Semifinals, Russia streaked out to a 6-1 lead early in the third period, and then held on by a fingernail in the face of 4 unanswered Canadian goals for the 6-5 victory. Nikita Kucherov's tap in goal as the trailer on a 3-on-1 ended up being the game winning goal in the match. Nikita Nesterov also contributed a power play goal for the Russians on a first period one timer from the point that was deflected in off a Canadian defender's stick. Lightning forward Brett Connolly scored the second Lightning prospect goal in the game as the extra attacker on a play where Nikita Nesterov was about to be sent off on a minor penalty. Connolly ripped a short side wrister for the goal that was Canada's only through 40 minutes. The most bizarre move of the match came when Russian coach Valeri Bragin's decided to lift Andrei Vasilevski after he stopped 44 of 49 shots for the Russians, but backup Andrei Makarov stopped 7 of 7 the rest of the way to secure the win, seemingly against all odds.

Connolly looked to be Canada's strongest player in the match. He had what was perhaps Canada's best chance to tie the game on a rebound off a shot that hit the post which he was unable to lift over Makarov's pads. Kucherov had some dangerous moments as a playmaker on what was Russia's de facto second line. He looked to be an extremely creative passer with superlative puckhandling skills that were among the best on display by both teams tonight. Nesterov, for his part, took a late second period penalty for interference that likely wasn't his and looked somewhat outclassed by the Canadians' speed and strength. Still, it's hard to complain about the Lightning prospect hat trick of goals.

Russia moves on to play Sweden in the Gold Medal match on Thursday. Sweden advanced to the Finals with a dramatic 3-2 shootout win over the rival Finns earlier in the night on the strength of a Max Friberg game tying goal with 1:44 left in regulation followed up by Friberg's winning shootout goal. Recall, Friberg scored the game tying goal with 40 seconds left in regulation against the Russians in the final game of the Preliminary Round to earn Sweden their bye in the Quarterfinals of the Medal Round. The Ducks fifth rounder is suddenly looking like a living legend for the Swedes.

Canada will play in the Bronze Medal match against the Finns on Thursday, as well.

Quarterfinals
Finland 8 @ Sloavkia 5
Adam Janosik, Slovakia, 0-1-1, +2, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Tournament totals: 5 GP, 0-1-1, +1, 0 PIM

Wild first rounder Mikael Granlund had 1 goal and 4 points to help lead Finland to an 8-5 win over Slovakia. His brother Markus, a Flames second rounder, chipped in 2 goals and 3 points, as well. Lightning prospect Adam Janosik was an admirable +2 despite his team giving up a snowman in the contest. He also had a secondary assist on a power play goal by Red Wings fourth rounder Marek Tvrdon with 30 seconds left in the first period. Slovakia will finish their tournament in the 5th/6th Place Game on Wednesday against (spoiler alert) Czech Republic.

Russia 2 @ Czech Republic 1 (OT)
Nikita Kucherov, Russia, 0-1-1, +1, 2 PIM, 1 SOG
Tournament totals: 5 GP, 1-5-6, +7, 2 PIM

Nikita Nesterov, Russia, 0-0-0, +1, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Tournament totals: 5 GP, 1-3-4, +8, 4 PIM

Lightning prospect Nikita Kucherov assisted on defenseman Grigori Zheldakov's overtime goal to lift Russia to a 2-1 Quarterfinals victory over Czech Republic. Kucherov was on the ice after leaving the box following Russia's kill of a high sticking minor. The game featured an epic goaltending battle between Wings fifth rounder Petr Mrazek, who stopped 43 of 45 in defeat, and draft eligible 17 year old goaltender Andrei Vasilevski, who stopped 38 of 39 he faced. Russia moves on to the Semifinals to face Canada in what should be an epic battle between two of the world's great hockey powers on Tuesday.

Sweden will face Finland in a battle of Scandinavian rivals to determine which of the two will move on to the Finals to face the winner of Canada vs. Russia.

Preliminary Round
Slovakia 6 @ Switzerland 4
Adam Janosik, Slovakia, 0-0-0, +2, 0 PIM, 3 SOG
Tournament totals: 4 GP, 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM

Thanks in part to 4 assists by Red Wings draft pick Tomas Jurco, the Slovakians overcame a pair of 2 goal deficits to beat Switzerland 6-4 and punch their ticket to the medal round. Lightning prospect Adam Janosik was +2 in the match. Slovakia moves on to face Finland in the Quarterfinals on Monday. Switzerland falls into the Relegation bracket against Denmark, also on Monday.

Canada 3 @ USA 2
Brett Connolly, Canada, 1-0-1, +1, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Tournament totals: 4 GP, 4-1-5, +5, 4 PIM

Canada held off a furious US comeback to scrape by the Americans 3-2. Brett Connolly's first period goal ended up being the game winner. Credit to the already Relegation Round saddled US side for not caving after falling down 3-0 in the first and giving Canada all they could handle. Canada earns a bye to the Semifinals on Tuesday. The US draws Latvia on Tuesday, and I suspect will cut a wide swath of destruction through the loser's bracket.

Russia 3 @ Sweden 4 (OT)
Nikita Kucherov, Russia, 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Tournament totals: 4 GP, 1-4-5, +6, 0 PIM

Nikita Nesterov, Russia, 0-0-0, -1, 2 PIM, 1 SOG
Tournament totals: 4 GP, 1-3-4, +7, 4 PIM

Whereas a 3 goal third period lead is a death sentence in pro hockey, it's not quite so in junior hockey. Ducks draft pick Max Friberg scored an extra attacker goal to cap a 3 goal third period comeback for the Swedes and Blackhawks draft pick Joakim Nordstrom scored the overtime winner in their thrilling 4-3 win over Russia. Sweden clinches a bye to the Semis with the win. Russia now faces a Quarterfinal match with the Czech Republic on Monday. Lightning prospects Nikita Nesterov and Nikita Kucherov, who were on the ice for Friberg's goal, took their first minuses of the tournament. Swedish coach Roger Ronnberg perhaps deserves considerable credit for a Steve Ludzik-like goalie switch just before the goal to get a cheap timeout after burning his official timeout earlier in the game. It was a blast from the past for older Lightning fans.