TAMPA, Fla. — NHL points leader Nikita Kucherov had two goals and an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-3 on Thursday night.
Kucherov picked up his 93rd point on a goal that made it 4-3 at 8:13 of the third. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, second in points, increased his total to 89 with two assists.
Thursday was the first day in NHL history to feature five Stanley Cup Final rematches, with one involving the two Art Ross Trophy race leaders going head-to-head. Colorado beat Tampa Bay in the 2022 Final.
MacKinnon missed about 10 minutes in the second after teammate Jonathan Drouin’s pass was deflected by Tampa Bay’s Nicholas Paul and hit him in the nose.