1 AN IMPRESSIVE DEBUT Nikita Kucherov battled for position in front of the net A defender tried to keep him away so Kucherov skated back a few paces He was ready for a pass from his teammate Kucherov was playing in his first National Hockey League NHL game He and the Tampa Bay Lightning were squaring off against the New York Rangers in November 2013 Two minutes into the first period Kucherov had not yet taken a shot But that was about to change Nikita Kucherov competes in his first game as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning
