Last night's bombastic series-opening game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers showcased two undeniable truths: this series is must-watch TV, and Nikita Kucherov does not deal with rust; rust deals with Nikita Kucherov. In his first game in roughly eight months, Kucherov put on a clinic up and down the ice.
“I’ve waited a long time for this,” Kucherov said.
There was healthy skepticism on whether Kucherov would struggle to keep up after missing the entire regular season and being inserted into a playoff atmosphere after rehabbing from hip surgery.