Nikita Kucherov hits 1,000 points as Lightning edge out Ducks 4-3

It was a milestone night for the Lightning, highlighted by a much-needed win against the Anaheim Ducks. Nikita Kucherov reached the 1,000-point mark in his NHL career, tallying two assists to help Tampa Bay secure a 4-3 win at Benchmark International Arena on Saturday.

"It was a great feeling. It's something I never thought I would reach. I'm really honored and fortunate to have great teammates along the way,” Kucherov said. “Without them I wouldn't be here and I wouldn't have done that. The fan support has been a huge part of it and I'm just real blessed."

Kucherov is the 101st player in NHL history to reach the milestone and joined former captain Steven Stamkos as the only two players in Lightning history to record 1,000 points.

"It's been a privilege to stand on the bench to watch him get a thousand," said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. "It seems like just yesterday he was (starting) in the league. He's a special, special player and he's going to go down as one of the greatest, if not the greatest player, to play in this organization. He's got a lot of runway left in him."

It wasn’t just Kucherov celebrating a milestone. Lightning captain Victor Hedman recorded an assist on Anthony Cirelli’s goal for his 800th career point, while Brandon Hagel reached the 300-point mark. Both Kucherov and Hedman have earned all of their points as members of the Lightning.

"Being drafted in 2009, never in my wildest dreams did I think of getting this high up,” said Hedman. “Good thing it was an early game so my kids were here to witness it."

Hedman became the fifth player in Lightning history and the third active defenseman to reach 800 points.

The Lightning will look to keep moving in the right direction and build on their momentum as they wrap up their back-to-back against the Vegas Golden Knights at Benchmark International Arena on Sunday.