Six points for two: Kucherov increased the lead over MacKinnon in the scorers race, Panarin scored an assist hat-trick

Duel between Kucherov and MacKinnon

The match between Tampa and Colorado attracted attention because the two top scorers of the NHL regular season, Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon, met on the ice in a head-to-head confrontation. And the hockey players fully met the expectations of the fans gathered in the stands.

Both entered their names into the minutes of the meeting already in the first period. The Canadian joined his team's attack, which ended with an accurate throw from Bowen Byram. And the Russian responded even before the break, “shooting” Finnish goalkeeper Justus Annunen from the right throw-in circle.

Moreover, the forward also took part in another Lightning goal. It was Nikita who threw the puck into the zone, from where it bounced off the boards to Brayden Point. However, in the end, Kucherov’s effective action was not counted, although his name appeared on the Amali Arena scoreboard for some time.

The second twenty minutes remained for Colorado: Byram scored a double and evened the score in the match. At the same time, the Avalanche almost lost their leader. The puck hit MacKinnon in the face, causing his nose to bleed. So the Canadian was forced to go to the locker room for a while, where he received medical attention, after which he was allowed to return to the game.

In the third period, the audience saw five goals at once, including those scored by Kucherov. True, at first he had to sit on the penalty box and watch Nathan give another assist to Artturi Lehkonen. However, less than a minute later, Nikita, with a pass from his zone, brought Steven Stamkos one on one with the Colorado goalkeeper, and he restored the balance in the game. And after that he distinguished himself again, taking advantage of the fact that his opponents left him completely alone at their goal.

The final score in the confrontation was set by Anthony Cirelli and Nick Perbix at the very end - 6:3. Moreover, Kucherov could have scored a hat-trick, but missed the empty net. However, even without this goal he was recognized as the first star of the meeting. 

“He gives his all, [and] in every match. How it works on any piece of ice. He is a truly talented hockey player. Just look at the ingenuity in the game. He's hard to defend against and I thought he was great today. It’s great to watch such outstanding athletes in action,” said Tampa Bay head coach John Cooper.

The match with Colorado was already the 14th this season in which the Russian scored three or more effective actions. At the same time, Nikita has significantly fewer meetings without goals or assists - only 10. In the scorers' race, the forward increased his lead over MacKinnon. He now has 93 points, while the Canadian has 89.

Kucherov also moved into second place in Lightning history with three points in a single season, passing Stamkos (13 games in 2021-22). Now the striker is second only to his own result of the 2018/19 season (18).

Panarin's assist hat-trick

Artemy Panarin also chalked up three effective actions that day. The Rangers forward took part in the victory over Montreal with a score of 7:4. 

At the same time, at the beginning of the match nothing foreshadowed such a large score. In the first 30 minutes, fans saw only one goal scored. And even then against Jonathan Quick, who took the ice in the starting lineup instead of Igor Shesterkin. The turning point was five minutes of the second period, during which the Rangers scored four times, and Panarin made two assists at once.

First, Artemy helped Mika Zibanejad score in the minority, and 40 seconds later he made an assist to Chris Kreider in the majority.

“After the first period, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin took control of the game. Our big guys stepped up and started performing much better offensively,” said Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette.

In the third period of the game, Panarin took part in another goal for his team. The Russian passed to Vincent Trocheck, after whose goal the outcome of the match was predetermined. Thus, Artemy scored his first assist hat-trick of the season. At the same time, this is already the sixth match for the Rangers forward in which he scored three or more effective actions. He now has 71 points (31+40) and is so far fifth in the list of top scorers in the NHL regular season.

As for the rest of the Russians, St. Louis hockey player Pavel Buchnevich earned two points. He scored a goal and an assist in the confrontation with Edmonton (6:3). Vancouver forward Nikita Zadorov and Calgary forward Andrey Kuzmenko scored goals.

And Anaheim defenseman Pavel Mintyukov scored his first 20 points in the NHL, scoring in the match with Ottawa. To reach this mark, the hockey player needed 42 meetings. Moreover, only one defensive player in Ducks history did it faster - Cam Fowler (38).

Goalkeeper Ilya Samsonov also showed his worth in the meeting with Philadelphia. Toronto won in overtime - 4:3, and the Russian made 29 saves. After returning from the farm club, the goalkeeper played eight matches, six of which ended in favor of the Maple Leafs. Auston Matthews also performed miracles on the ice in this match, scoring his fifth hat-trick this season.