Nikita Kucherov is doing his best to help the Tampa Bay Lightning make good on preseason expectations.

Kucherov leads the Lightning - viewed as Stanley Cup contenders in October - with 27 goals and 34 assists, and his 61 points in 55 games put him five points shy of his career high.

That total has been boosted by six goals and six assists in his past four games, including a goal and two assists in Wednesday's overtime win over Carolina. The outburst matches a franchise legend in production:

The Lightning have a 3-1-0 record in that time, and sit three points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 20 games to play. The New York Islanders and Florida Panthers are also two points ahead.

There's still some work to be done, then. According to Sports Club Stats, Tampa Bay has only an 18.5 percent chance of making the playoffs, well behind both the Maple Leafs (54.4) and Islanders (45.5), and slightly ahead of the Panthers (16.7).

And help may be on the way, as Kucherov and Steven Stamkos - who's been sidelined most of the season due to injury - practiced one-timers together Wednesday.

For now, it's Kucherov carrying the team, and as well as anyone could have expected.

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