If anyone's an authority to opine on Russian hockey, it's Alex Ovechkin.

The Washington Capitals star had high praise for countryman Nikita Kucherov when recently asked about the Tampa Bay Lightning forward.

"He's a tremendously skilled player," Ovechkin told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "He's got great shot, great vision. He's going to be one of the greatest players in the history of Russia."

The pair played together with Russia at the World Cup of Hockey in September, where they both recorded three points in four games and were eliminated by Canada in the semifinals.

Opposing NHL coaches are also taking notice of Kucherov's impact.

"He can do damage anywhere. He's fearless on the rush, he's fearless with the puck, he makes plays off the rush, he wins one-on-ones," St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock told Smith.

"He makes some exceptional passes where you think there's not a (chance)," Capitals bench boss Barry Trotz said. "He sends a rocket saucer pass through five sticks and legs."

"He's not a big guy, but man, is he ever strong on the puck. He might be underrated if you don't play him very much, but if you play him a couple games, he's a hell of a player."

Kucherov ranks second on the NHL's points list with 29 and sits tied for fourth in goals with 13 through 26 games this season.

The 23-year-old has 80 goals and 177 points in 237 career contests, and his .747 career points per game put him ahead of former Russian stars Igor Larionov and Slava Kozlov on the all-time list, albeit in a smaller sample size.

His 1.12 points per game this season also has him in elite company, as he trails only Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and teammate Steven Stamkos in the category.

Kucherov's production has been critical for the Lightning, who've been forced to play without Stamkos since the captain was ruled out for at least four months after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in November.

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Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.

Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Wednesday, December 7 (advanced stats courtesy of Corsica.Hockey):

Triple Threat

• C Eric Staal (48K), RW Nino Niederreiter (38K), D Ryan Suter (32K), Wild (at Toronto): Though the Maple Leafs are much better at the ACC than on the road, they have the fifth-highest xGA60 (expected goals against per 60) at home at 5v5. Staal's bounce-back season has been a major reason why Niederreiter has seven points in his last seven games. Suter is much cheaper than he should be.

• C Joe Thornton (46K), LW Patrick Marleau (47K), D Brent Burns (72K), Sharks (vs. Senators): Drafting Thornton rather than Pavelski allows you to afford Burns and still have a reasonable amount of remaining salary. Mike Condon will be in goal for Ottawa. Last season he went 4-11-3 with an .880 SV% against Western Conference teams. He had a 4.06 GAA in two games against the Sharks.

• C Ryan Getzlaf (71K), LW Nick Ritchie (25K), RW Corey Perry (74K), Ducks (vs. Hurricanes): The Ducks will take on a Hurricanes team that is just 3-7-5 on the road this season. Travelling across three time zones is never easy. Anaheim has the fifth-best xGF60 (expected goals for per 60 minutes) at home at 5v5. Ritchie's low salary balances out the expensive prices of Getzlaf and Perry.

Bargain Plays

• G Martin Jones (80K), Sharks (vs. Senators): Jones has a .924 SV% and a 1.99 GAA this season, but he is priced just above the minimum salary for goaltenders. He will face an Ottawa team that generates the fifth-fewest SCF60 (scoring chances for per 60 minutes) on the road at 5v5. Overall, the Sens rank 23rd in goals per game.

• D Morgan Rielly (28K), Maple Leafs (vs. Wild): Rielly plays nearly 23 minutes per night, sees time on both the power play and the penalty kill is averaging over 0.5 points per game. It's quite puzzling why he is priced so low. It might tough to pick up a goal or an assist with Devan Dubnyk in goal for Minnesota, but Rielly can return value with shots and blocks alone.

• LW Nick Ritchie (25K), Ducks (vs. Hurricanes): Ritchie has been reunited on a line with Getzlaf and Perry. He only has five goals and two assists on the season, but his 50 shots and 76 hits provide him a high floor given he doesn't need much to return value. Any goals or assists are just bonuses.

Top Fades

• C Evgeny Kuznetsov (53K), Capitals (vs. Bruins): Kuznetsov's salary refuses to drop relative to his production this season. He has just 10 points in 24 games and the Bruins own the NHL's lowest xGA60 at 5v5.

• RW Sebastian Aho (49K), Hurricanes (at Ducks): Perhaps it was due to being part of a dominant line with Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, but Aho faced lofty expectations heading into his rookie season. Those expectations have drawn a high Squad Up salary, but he has just three goals and eight assists in 25 games.

• G Mike Condon (87K), Senators (at Sharks): Condon has been great in five starts for the Sens this season, but it is unlikely to continue. In a much larger sample size, Condon struggled in 55 games last season with Montreal filling in for the injured Carey Price. His west coast struggles are documented in the Triple Threat section. There's no reason why he should be more expensive than Jones.

Contrarian Options

• G Tuukka Rask (76K), Bruins (at Capitals): Rask, the NHL's leader in wins and the owner of a .939 SV% and a 1.68 GAA, is just 1K above the minimum price for a goaltender. The Capitals present a tough matchup which could lower his ownership, but this guy might win the Vezina. Take advantage of this pricing mishap.

• D Erik Karlsson (55K), Senators (at Sharks): Most Squad Up players willing to spend up on elite defenseman will turn to Burns, who has a much better matchup. However, Karlsson should not be 17K cheaper considering their fantasy points per game are nearly identical. Karlsson is coming off a four-point night and is essentially matchup proof.

• C Logan Couture (57K), Sharks (vs. Senators): Couture is questionable to play in Wednesday's game. This, plus the fact that both Pavelski and Thornton are first line players, will keep Couture's ownership down. He has nine goals and seven assists this season and is one game removed from a three-point outing.

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The holiday season is fast approaching, but there's little to celebrate for certain teams around the NHL.

Here's a look at three of the most disappointing teams so far this season:

Denver malaise

The premature departure of Patrick Roy was seen as a bit of a blessing in disguise for the Colorado Avalanche.

While the club did achieve a measure of success early in the former head coach's tenure, the consensus was Colorado was stuck with a failed system, as evidenced by poor possession numbers over the past few seasons.

It's only been 24 games, but things haven't improved much under Jared Bednar. The Avalanche sit 30th overall with just 19 points (9-14-1) and a 29th-ranked goal differential (minus-21). The underlying numbers don't paint much of an optimistic picture either, as Colorado's 5-on-5 Corsi rating of 47.97 is good for 25th.

Perhaps a bit of bad luck is working against Colorado, as the club's shooting and save percentages rank low as well. Losing captain Gabriel Landeskog to injury doesn't help either.

Still, at this point in the season, it's difficult to envision much of a turnaround, with on-ice personnel changes maybe next in line for general manager Joe Sakic.

Losing sleep in Brooklyn

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the New York Islanders have tumbled down the standings.

Losing both Kyle Okposo (Buffalo) and Frans Nielsen (Detroit) in free agency was certainly a blow, and, to make matters worse, Andrew Ladd - with whom the club invested $38.5 million over seven years - has underperformed, to say the very least.

With an unprecedented lack of support around him, John Tavares' numbers are below his career averages, and questions are being raised in regards to his long-term future with the team as he approaches potential free agency in 2018.

Somehow still behind the bench, Jack Capuano has taken the team from a second-round playoff appearance last spring to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, and the Islanders' 5-on-5 Corsi rating of 45.93 is a testament to the fact things just aren't working.

Texas toast

Expectations have been very high in the Lone Star state after general manager Jim Nill was able to overhaul the roster and form as dynamic a duo up front as they come in Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn.

Yes, the Dallas Stars have been hit with the injury bug, and a literal virus in the case of Jiri Hudler, who's been limited to four games with the team after signing in the offseason.

The fundamental flaw, however, remains a two-headed goalie system that just isn't working out. The numbers posted by Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi really speak for themselves.

An average possession team (49.08 5-on-5 Corsi), the Stars have allowed a league-high 87 goals, and, unlike years' past, the offense isn't clicking enough to make up for the defensive failures.

The Stars are seven points clear of the last-place Avalanche, but the reigning Central Division champions will be in tough to clinch a playoff spot if this trend continues.

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Most babies have a comfort object they're attached to. For this little Pittsburgh Penguins fan, it's her Sidney Crosby jersey.

When her parents attempted to take the jersey away while dressing her, she screamed and cried until they backed off.

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Taylor Hall wouldn't change a thing except the result.

The New Jersey Devils winger delivered a check on Philip Larsen that caused the Vancouver Canucks defenseman to be stretchered off the ice during the second period, and while no penalty was called on the play, Hall certainly felt bad about its effects.

Related: Canucks' Larsen stretchered off after hit from Devils' Hall

"I'm looking to make contact there, but I never want to see a guy laying on the ice there like that," Hall said after the game, per Chris Ryan of NJ.com. "I only know how to play the game one way, and you've got to play it hard. But like I said, I feel terrible.

"When you see him laying on the ice like that, he's a former teammate of mine, and I just would have loved to make a hit there and continue the play. I hope he's OK."

Larsen, with whom Hall played in Edmonton back in 2013-14, was awake and responsive as he left the ice before being taken to hospital for further evaluation, the Canucks announced at the time.

Hall added he felt reassured by the fact the hit was deemed to be clean, but Larsen's well-being remained front of mind.

"I don't have any regrets with what I did," he said. "I tried to keep all my extremities in close and make contact chest-to-chest, and sometimes it doesn't work out like that.

"I just hope he's alright. You never want to see that."

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The Philadelphia Flyers are the hottest team in the NHL right now, earning their sixth consecutive win Tuesday night versus the Florida Panthers.

Much can be made of the Flyers' attack - which has scored the second most goals in the NHL - but it's the recent play of goaltender Steve Mason that has propelled Philadelphia into the thick of the playoff race.

In 19 starts this season, the 28-year-old owns a record of 10-8-3, accompanied by a 2.71 goals against average and .908 save percentage - fairly pedestrian numbers.

However, during his club's hot streak, Mason has been lights out, recording a .943 save percentage while surrendering two goals or less in his last five starts.

He was the first star Tuesday night, recording 42 saves in a game Philly had no business winning judging by the shot clock.

Mason has struggled to find consistency since earning the Calder Trophy in 2008-09, but he's the Flyers No. 1 at this point, and he's finally playing like it.

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Jaden Schwartz wasn't going to settle for a loss Tuesday night.

After notching the equalizer midway through the third period, Schwartz completed St. Louis' comeback over Montreal with a brilliant backhand winner in overtime.

Thanks to Schwartz' 10th tally of the season, the Blues are now 12-1-3 on home ice.

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