Some called Kucherov's move ballsy, but he may have had some previous knowledge heading into his attempt against Buffalo Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner. After all, Lehner had yet to make a single save in the shootout all season leading up to Saturday.
Kucherov would go on to do his thing, ending the game and leaving Lehner without a save on eight shots in four shootouts this season.
Here's a look at Lehner's shootout work this season:
It surely hasn't been pretty for Lehner.
In fact, Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros is the only other goalie to go saveless in the shootout this season. Though, Saros has only faced two shooters in just one shootout session.
Entering this season, Lehner had allowed just 24 goals on 60 shots all time - a success rate of 60 percent.
He's been better, but one thing is certain - if the Sabres want to help themselves collect points down the stretch, avoid taking the game past overtime.
Covers.com is the biggest and best source for sports betting information, providing unrivaled and original content sports bettors cannot live without.
Our Covers NHL cheat sheet breaks down the best NHL betting notes so you can handicap the week like a pro, including the Toronto Maple Leafs who have been on fire against Atlantic Division opponents this season.
Toronto's Divisional Dominance
The Toronto Maple Leafs will happily welcome a game against a divisional opponent as they look to end a five-game losing skid. The Maple Leafs return home from a dismal Western road trip and look to strengthen their run at an Eastern Conference playoff berth as they entertain the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. Toronto enters the week just outside the wild card picture, but has a major advantage in this one as they carry a 12-6-3 divisional record into the tilt. The Red Wings, by comparison, have just six victories in 21 games against Atlantic Division foes as they appear set to miss the playoffs for the first time in a quarter-century.
Max a Non-Factor vs. Flames?
Max Pacioretty has blossomed into one of the most gifted scorers in the NHL - but he hasn't quite figured out the Flames, as he and the Montreal Canadiens visit Calgary in an all-Canadian Thursday night tussle. The Flames have been a bit of a thorn in Pacioretty's side during his career, as he has just three goals and three assists with a minus-8 rating in 14 career meetings with Calgary. The Flames won seven of eight meetings with the Canadiens between 2009 and 2013, but Montreal has responded with wins in four of the last six encounters between the 1986 and 1989 Stanley Cup finalists.
Sid Struggles in Van City
Speaking of guys from Eastern Conference teams that struggle against a particular West foe, look for Sidney Crosby to improve his career stats against Vancouver as he leads the Penguins against the host Canucks on Saturday night. Crosby hasn't done much in his career versus Vancouver, scoring six goals while adding four assists in 12 games while posting a hideous minus-9 rating. On the plus side: the Penguins have yet to lose in regulation against Pacific Division opponents, coming into the week with a 7-0-4 mark. And the Canucks haven't been that great against the Metropolitan Division, boasting a 3-8-3 mark entering Monday.
Injury Updates
* The Buffalo Sabres are hoping forward Kyle Okposo doesn't miss much more time as he deals with a rib injury suffered in Thursday's 6-3 triumph over the Arizona Coyotes. The Sabres have dropped both games since losing Okposo, who was heating up with a goal and three assists over his previous two games.
* The New York Rangers will once again be without goal-scoring winger Michael Grabner, who will miss Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a hip injury that has sidelined him the previous two games. The Rangers have split a pair of contests without Grabner, who leads the club with 26 goals.
Player Notes
* Two weeks ago, it was Jonathan Toews that lifted the Chicago Blackhawks near the top of the Central Division. Last week, it was Patrick Kane that kept them there. Kane scored five goals in three games - all Chicago victories - and now has nine goals over his previous five contests, helping extend the Blackhawks' win streak to seven.
* The Lightning might have an eye toward next year, but Nikita Kucherov isn't ready to let this season go by the wayside. Kucherov extended his point streak to six games with an assist in Saturday's 2-1 shootout win over Buffalo; he has seven goals and seven assists during the run. Tampa Bay is 4-2-0 SU and 3-3-0 O/U over that stretch.
* The Washington Capitals are cruising to a top seed in the playoffs, but they wouldn't mind seeing Alexander Ovechkin light the lamp more often. Ovechkin is mired in a deep slump that has seen him score just two goals over his last 13 games. But Capitals fans needn't fret, as their team has gone an astounding 10-2-1 SU in those contests.
Stanley Cup Futures
* The addition of forward Martin Hanzal has the Minnesota Wild sitting pretty as the top Stanley Cup play from the Western Conference. According to Sports Interaction, The Wild enter the week at +550 to win the first title in team history, behind only the Capitals (+375). Hanzal, acquired prior to the trade deadline, has three assists in four games with the Wild.
* The Edmonton Oilers didn't make a huge splash at the deadline, but remain a hot ticket at +1,700 - the fourth-best odds among Western Conference teams. Edmonton comes into the week having won back-to-back games and still employs the NHL's leading scorer in forward Connor McDavid, who has 74 points in 65 games and is on a five-game point streak.
* The Detroit Red Wings are still in play, but only barely. Having made the playoffs every season since 1990, the Red Wings will likely see that streak come to a crashing halt - and even if, by some miracle, they go on a run and make the playoffs, putting anything down on them at +50,000 would require as much faith as you can muster.
Over/Under Trends
* The NHL's worst Over play continues to reside in San Jose. The Sharks have played to the Over just 15 times in 64 games so far this season, and are presently on an 0-5-1 O/U run; the good news is, the team's stalwart defense has played a major role, with the team going 4-1-1 over that span.
* Nashville has become "Cashville" to bettors who have laid money on the Over. The Predators have been a red-hot 16-3 O/U over their last 19 games, a stretch that includes 11 straight Overs from Feb. 7-28. That run has moved Nashville to 36-25-4 O/U for the season, giving them the second-most Over plays of any team in the league.
The Canadiens have rediscovered their winning ways since returning from their mid-February bye week, while franchise netminder Carey Price is also back in his groove.
After starting the season on a 13-1-1 mark, the Canadiens stumbled through the season's sleepy months, going 18-18-7 in their next 43 nights, ultimately ending in the ax for former bench boss Michel Therrien.
But since Feb. 18, and now under the guidance of coach Claude Julien, the Canadiens are winners of six of eight, regaining a firm lead atop their division, with 82 points on the season.
Julien's early returns are promising. Price has rebounded to win five of seven contests, not allowing more than two goals in any game. It's a nice bounce back for the team MVP, who struggled through six games following the All-Star Break, in which his save percentage dipped to .894.
Time Frame
Record
GAA
SV%
October - All-Star Break
22-10-5
2.35
.921
All-Star Break - Bye Week
2-4-0
3.17
.894
Bye Week - March 6
5-2-0
1.40
.949
"Any team that goes through a funk will tell you that it's just not a fun thing," Price told Arpon Basu of NHL.com. "Especially with the uncertainty too from the trade deadline. So you add all those things up, they were just kind of looming over the room. Now that those things are gone I feel like there's kind of a rejuvenation of energy."
In the meantime, Price has added more accolades to his impressive resume.
Last month, Price passed the legendary Ken Dryden for third place on the Canadiens' all-time wins list. He should leapfrog Patrick Roy next season, although a stellar campaign could put Price at the top as early as 2017-18:
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 Monday, March 6 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockeyand apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
LW Alex Ovechkin (85K) & RW T.J. Oshie (57K), Capitals (vs. Stars): The Stars have the second-highest xGA60 (expected goals against per 60 minutes) in the league. Their goaltending tandem is atrocious. The Capitals are not only the league's best team, but they are also the highest-scoring team. Their first line of Ovechkin, Oshie and C Nicklas Backstrom will be licking their chops.
C Logan Couture (45K) & LW Patrick Marleau (38K), Sharks (at Jets): Squad Up doesn't allow you to stack Cs Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. Luckily, Marleau and Couture come cheap, have combined for nine points in San Jose's last five games and are on the top power play. Winnipeg has been shorthanded 226 times this season -- the second-most in the NHL.
C Mark Scheifele (62K) & RW Patrik Laine (45K), Jets (vs. Sharks): It's quite absurd for Laine to be priced at 45K. The rookie phenom is second in the NHL with 32 goals. Scheifele is also having a fantastic season. Even though the Sharks are a strong defensive team, it's tough to pass up this value.
Bargain Plays
G Aaron Dell (75K), Sharks (vs. Jets): Dell should get the call between the pipes after Martin Jones started Sunday night. He has been one of the best backup goalies in the league this season, sporting a .935 SV% and a 1.88 GAA in 13 games.
RW Kevin Labanc (25K), Sharks (vs. Jets): Labanc is blessed with first-line real estate alongside Thornton and Pavelski. He hasn't exactly made the most of this opportunity, but he is worthy of a flier at the minimum salary against the Jets, who rank fourth-worst in goals against.
C Frank Vatrano (28K), Bruins (at Senators): Vatrano is averaging nearly three shots per game and over a hit per game, giving him a high floor in Squad Up. He also has a nice scoring touch, with 10 goals in 31 games this year.
Top Fades
G Connor Hellebuyck (99K), Jets (vs. Sharks): Hellebuyck has allowed just one goal in his last two games, so his ownership will be sky-high, but he allowed a combined 10 in the two games prior. He's far too much of a risk to invest 99K, especially against the Pacific Division-leading Sharks.
LW Ondrej Palat (54K), Lightning (vs. Rangers): Palat is a solid two-way player, but he hasn't done enough offensively to warrant a 54K salary. Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist has a .926 SV% and a 2.23 GAA on the road this season.
D John Carlson (42K), Capitals (vs. Stars): Even though the matchup is juicy, it's best to fade Carlson. The addition of D Kevin Shattenkirk (44K) has bumped Carlson off the top power-play unit, featuring Ovechkin, Backstrom, Oshie and LW Marcus Johansson.
Contrarian Options
C Jason Spezza (32K), Stars (at Capitals): Spezza is a shadow of his former self, but he still has great vision, a soft set of hands and an underrated shot. He has taken advantage of a glorious opportunity to center LW Jamie Benn and C/RW Tyler Seguin, tallying five points in as many games, but he'll be left unowned against the Caps.
C Mathieu Perreault (47K), Jets (vs. Sharks): Perreault has been one of the hottest players in the NHL lately with 11 points in his last seven games. Playing on a line with Scheifele and Laine is a major reason why. This production should continue against a tired Sharks team.
RW Blake Wheeler (63K), Jets (vs. Sharks): If Squad Up users are looking for a right winger from the Jets, it'll surely be the cheaper and more productive Laine. However, Wheeler has back-to-back three-point games and can't be overlooked.
Eddie Lack took head coach Bill Peters' rash criticism the best way he could, by turning in an inspired performance against the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday.
Peters was blunt on Lack's play of late - most notably a recent loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning - stating his numbers in the league as "not good enough."
Luckily Lack rebounded, turning away 24 of the 25 shots fired his way, helping aid his club to a 2-1 victory while restoring some confidence.
"I know there has been a lot of talk … but the two games before (Tampa Bay) I felt were my two best games of the season," Lack said, according to NHL.com's Jerry Brown. "I have a lot of positive people around me and I had so many phone calls and texts.
"This was a good game to get my stats up a little, though."
After the game Peters admitted his tirade was "not his proudest moment" and that the two had made peace after some discussions during their walk to the plane.
The coach also made the decision early that he wanted to give Lack the start Sunday.
"We met (Friday) morning and I said, 'I want to give you the start in Arizona.' Our goalie coach (David Marcoux) was in the meeting and he said, 'Well, let's not commit to that now,' but I said I was ready to make it," Peters said.
For now Lack can also take a little pride in knowing that with Sunday's outing he no longer sits 60th in the league in save percentage among goalies with at least 10 starts, now ranking 59th.
Following Sunday's 5-2 scorching of the New York Islanders, the Flames are winners of seven straight, a stretch including three overtime victories. Calgary will look to push for win No. 8 vs. the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Credit netminder Brian Elliott for the team's recent run. The veteran has come away with the win in his past six outings. The results are even better over his last five, where he's allowed just eight goals while boating a .950 save percentage. He has just one regulation loss in his past nine (7-1-1).
Date
Opponent
GA
SV%
Mar. 5
Islanders
2
.943
Mar. 3
Red Wings
2
.946
Feb. 28
Kings
1
.966
Feb. 26
Hurricanes
1
.971
Feb. 23
Lightning
2
.920
Feb. 21
Predators
5
.821
Appearing in 36 games this season, Elliott owns a 18-13-3 record with a .905 save percentage. But it wasn't always this easy. Elliott struggled through his initial months in Alberta following a summer trade from the St. Louis Blues, soon losing the starter's gig to Chad Johnson.
On Dec. 1, the Flames were 11-13-2 and just five points removed from the West's basement. But subtract the season's first two months, and Elliott's numbers are in line with his career performance:
Time Frame
Record
GAA
SV%
Oct - Nov
3-9-1
3.31
.885
Dec - Mar
15-4-2
2.26
.917
Calgary has put together a record of 25-13-2 since then, climbing to the first wild-card spot in the West. Should the Flames overtake the Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific - the teams are tied on points with the Ducks holding a game in hand - it could potentially set up a playoff date against the Edmonton Oilers and the first Battle of Alberta since 1991.
Elliott's performance has not only revived Calgary's season, it could also rekindle one of the game's greatest rivalries.
Following Sunday's 5-2 scorching of the New York Islanders, the Flames are winners of seven straight, a stretch including three overtime victories. Calgary will look to push for win No. 8 vs. the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Credit netminder Brian Elliott for the team's recent run. The veteran has come away with the win in his past six outings. The results are even better over his last five, where he's allowed just eight goals while boating a .950 save percentage. He has just one regulation loss in his past nine (7-1-1).
Date
Opponent
GA
SV%
Mar. 5
Islanders
2
.943
Mar. 3
Red Wings
2
.946
Feb. 28
Kings
1
.966
Feb. 26
Hurricanes
1
.971
Feb. 23
Lightning
2
.920
Feb. 21
Predators
5
.821
Appearing in 36 games this season, Elliott owns a 18-13-3 record with a .905 save percentage. But it wasn't always this easy. Elliott struggled through his initial months in Alberta following a summer trade from the St. Louis Blues, soon losing the starter's gig to Chad Johnson.
On Dec. 1, the Flames were 11-13-2 and just five points removed from the West's basement. But subtract the season's first two months, and Elliott's numbers are in line with his career performance:
Time Frame
Record
GAA
SV%
Oct - Nov
3-9-1
3.31
.885
Dec - Mar
15-4-2
2.26
.917
Calgary has put together a record of 25-13-2 since then, climbing to the first wild-card spot in the West. Should the Flames overtake the Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific - the teams are tied on points with the Ducks holding a game in hand - it could potentially set up a playoff date against the Edmonton Oilers and the first Battle of Alberta since 1991.
Elliott's performance has not only revived Calgary's season, it could also rekindle one of the game's greatest rivalries.
theScore's new series, "The Noise," is published every Monday. It kicks off each week with a quick look at teams or players making headlines, good or bad.
Ryan White
The Minnesota Wild appear to be getting the most out of their newest acquisitions and no, we're not necessarily talking about Martin Hanzal.
Sure Hanzal has three assists in his first four games with the Wild, but it's been Ryan White - the apparent throw-in of the deal - who has come up big for his new team.
In four games, White has chipped in two goals and an assist. It's quite impressive given White has averaged just over eight minutes of ice time per game in those contests.
Factor in that he only contributed seven goals and 13 points in 46 games with the Arizona Coyotes this season and it appears the Wild are getting the best out of the pesky fourth liner.
The 35-year-old punched in his first two goals in a Senators uniform in his first game, propelling his new club to a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
Game 2 Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets was a little forgettable, but nevertheless it's a deal that is paying quick dividends for the Senators.
The questionable price to acquire Burrows - prospect Jonathan Dahlen - can be debated, but if Burrows can keep producing now and moderately for the next two seasons all can be forgiven.
Patrick Eaves
At this pace, Patrick Eaves will score another 11 goals in the final month of the season.
Since joining the Anaheim Ducks one week prior to the deadline, the former Dallas Star has found the back of the net twice in three games.
Sure his first was an empty netter against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but that aside, Eaves has fired a combined 12 shots on net and scored the Ducks' lone goal Sunday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
Eaves continues to pad his goal and point totals in what is already a career season, and for a Ducks team who fails to produce much offense, he is certainly contributing in a big way.
Mark Streit
Mark Streit joined the surprisingly high amount of players who scored goals in their first games with their new teams this week.
