TAMPA – With a target squarely on the No. 86 on the back of jersey, Nikita Kucherov found himself hacked, whacked and smacked by the the Dallas Stars.
That was just in the opening 10 minutes of the first period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
But just like his team, Nikita Kucherov responded with a standout effort in a 3-2 victory for the Tampa Bay Lightning to even up the best-of-seven series 1-1.
Tampa Bay improved to 6-0 in the playoffs this season in the game immediately after a loss.
Being able to adjust and respond to losses is a championship-quality trait. In the playoffs, no team c...
