Thursday's clash between the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning will feature a battle between the top two dogs in the Art Ross Trophy race - and Nathan MacKinnon is looking forward to going toe-to-toe with Nikita Kucherov.
"Everything," the Avalanche star said when asked what he admires about Kucherov's game, per Bally Sports' Gabby Shirley. "I think he is, obviously, one of the best in the world. It's not breaking news. It's awesome to watch him play.
"I think me and him have very different games, so that's why I love watching him so much. You can take a lot of, not advice, but tips from him in watching him play. It's amazing to watch him play, and I am excited to face him tonight."
Kucherov currently leads the league with a whopping 90 points (34 goals, 56 assists) in 53 games. That's already the fourth-highest total he's ever put up in his career - and he has 28 more games to work with. He's on pace for just under 140 points, which would surpass his previous best of 128 points, a total he set in 2018-19 when he won the Art Ross Trophy.
"He slows (the game) down really well," MacKinnon observed. "I probably don't do that as well as I should. It doesn't seem like he ever misses a guy open and I think everyone takes pride in that, in seeing your teammates when they're open in the slot. I miss guys open there but he never does, it seems like."
MacKinnon is no slouch either. He's right on Kucherov's tail with 87 points (32 goals, 55 assists) in 54 outings.
The two All-Stars are battling for more than just the Art Ross Trophy. Thanks to their dominance, MacKinnon and Kucherov are putting together convincing cases for the Hart Trophy. The former sits atop the league in both goals above replacement (22.5) and wins above replacement (3.6), while the latter ranks around the top 10 in both categories, according to Evolving-Hockey.
Containing Kucherov will likely prove a challenge for the Avalanche. He's racked up 15 points during an eight-game point streak, and he's only been held off the scoresheet 10 times this season.
"These two guys are incredible hockey players," Lightning forward Brandon Hagel said. "We are fortunate enough to have one and they are fortunate enough to have one.
"I am taking our guy tonight."
Puck drops on the clash at 7 p.m. ET. The two sides last met in late November when the Avalanche won 4-1.
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