TAMPA - When Nikita Kucherov gingerly left the ice inside Nassau Coliseum in Game 6 of the NHL Semifinal round, a collective fan base - and even the Tampa Bay Lightning coaching staff - collectively held their breath.
Watching him move around the ice in pregame warmup ahead of Game 7, and then during the game, did very little to alleviate that concern.
Even heading to the start of the Stanley Cup Final against the Montreal Canadiens, his status, or his expected effectiveness if he was able to play, was still somewhat in doubt even as he attempted to downplay any possible injury stating "I don'...
