SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Nikita Kucherov climbed to the top of the Tampa Bay Lightning record book Saturday night, though the milestone came in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth in Salt Lake City.
The record point arrived in the first period on a power play. Kucherov ripped a shot that Brayden Point knocked in off the rebound with 7:18 left in the opening frame, and the Tampa Bay bench emptied onto the ice to mob him. The assist was his 10th of the season.
That point was the 1,138th of his career, built on 405 goals and 733 assists across 890 games. It moved him one ahead of former teammate Steven Stamkos, who piled up 1,137 points over 1,082 games and had owned the franchise record since April 2022.
Kucherov, 33, has spent his whole NHL career with Tampa Bay since breaking in during 2013. The reigning Hart Trophy winner was a second-round draft pick in 2011, and his first point came on his first NHL shot, a goal against the New York Rangers. Coach Jon Cooper, who has led the club to two Stanley Cup titles, called him the smartest player he has coached.
The game itself got away late. Tampa Bay led 3-1 after Point’s goal and 4-2 early in the second period on a goal by Conor Geekie, with Charle-Edouard D’Astous and Pontus Holmberg also scoring. Utah rallied behind goals from Kailer Yamamoto, Dylan Guenther and Anders Lee, and Dmitri Simashev tied it 4-4 late in the second before scoring again 1:44 into overtime to win it.
The Lightning still picked up a point in the standings for reaching overtime as they continue their road trip.
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