Kucherov makes history with 40th goal of season
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Nikita Kucherov continues to add to his case for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player.
With his 40th goal and 126th point of the season Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Tampa Bay Lightning superstar set a new benchmark for points in a season in the salary-cap era.
| Player | Points | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Nikita Kucherov | 126 | 2018-19 |
| Joe Thornton | 125 | 2005-06 |
| Jaromir Jagr | 123 | 2005-06 |
| Sidney Crosby | 120 | 2006-07 |
| Connor McDavid | 116 | 2018-19 |
Dating back even further, Kucherov's 126 points are the most in a season since Jagr's 127 in 1998-99.
Kucherov's 40th tally helped make some team history as well, as the Lightning became the first club since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins to have three 40-goal scorers, according to FOX Sports Florida.
| '19 Lightning | G | '96 Penguins | G |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Stamkos | 44 | Mario Lemieux | 69 |
| Brayden Point | 41 | Jaromir Jagr | 62 |
| Nikita Kucherov | 40 | Petr Nedved | 45 |
The Lightning still have one game remaining in their historic season.
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