5
0
Kucherov joins hockey royalty while Auston Matthews does not.
TOR-4
TB-6
Matt Tomkins allowed four goals on 38 shots for the win. It’s a shame he allowed three goals in garbage time, but he also kept Auston Matthews from his 70th goal, which is a memory he can treasure for a lifetime.
First Period
3:58 TB Paul (24), (Duclair, Dumba)
6:14 TB Kucherov (44), (Hagel, Stamkos)
13:18 TOR Reaves (4), (Kampf, Dewar)
Second Period
6:37 TB Duclair (24), (Paul, Stamkos)
17:05 TB Point (46), (Kucherov, Raddysh)(PP)
17:57 TB Hagel (26), (deHaan)
Third Period
11:27 TB Jeannot (7), (Eyssimont, Chaffee)
14:02 TOR Brodie (1), (Dewar, Kampf)
16:20 TOR Holmberg (7), (Robertson)
19:25 TOR Tavares (29), (Nylander, Timmins)
Nikita Kucherov, Tomkins, and Brandon Hagel were the game’s three stars. Honestly thought Nick Paul deserved a star.
Nikita Kucherov joins Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Connor McDavid as the only players in NHL history with 100 assists in a season. He holds a six point lead in the scoring title race with one game left to go for Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. I believe his hitting the 100 assist milestone likely clinches the Hart Trophy. He’ll probably win the scoring title AND he holds a historic milestone that MacKinnon can’t boast.
Next up: the playoffs and little brother from Sunrise.
Mitchell Chaffee had a helper and was +2 with 1 shot, 6 hits, and 1 blocked shot in 12:10. Played one of his best games as a NHLer tonight.
Emil Lilleberg had 2 shots, 6 hits, and 3 blocked shots in 19:47 assuming more of the IT load with Victor Hedman being held out of the finale.
Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.
