Nikita Kucherov is having a season for the ages and nobody's talking about it loud enough.

The Tampa Bay Lightning star has put together one of the greatest stretches in NHL history with 93 points (28 goals, 65 assists) in his last 45 games since November 19. That's the best 45-game span since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96, and more points than the leading scorer had on 25 different teams for the entire 2024-25 season.

Let me say that again. Kucherov has 93 points in 45 games. That's more than the top scorer on 25 NHL teams managed in a full 82-game season.

When you're matching numbers we haven't seen since Mario Lemieux - MARIO LEMIEUX - you deserve more attention. When you're averaging over two points per game for three and a half months straight, that should be front-page news.

But somehow Kucherov is flying under the radar. Maybe it's because the Lightning aren't the dynasty they were a few years ago. Maybe it's because Tampa Bay isn't a traditional hockey market. Maybe it's because Kucherov doesn't seek the spotlight.

Whatever the reason, this is historic stuff, folks. Lemieux was one of the greatest players who ever lived. He won two Stanley Cups, three Hart Trophies as MVP, and put up numbers that seemed impossible. For Kucherov to be mentioned in the same sentence for a 45-game stretch is remarkable.

93 points in 45 games works out to 2.07 points per game. Over a full 82-game season at that pace, Kucherov would have 169 points. The last player to hit 160 points in a season was Mario Lemieux with 161 in 1995-96. Before that, you have to go back to Wayne Gretzky in the 1980s.

That's the level Kucherov is playing at right now. and level.