Nikita Kucherov continues hot start with two goals in Lightning win vs. Penguins

After an injury-riddled and subpar season saw the Tampa Bay Lightning miss the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, many predicted the Lightning would be back in the postseason come 2018.

On Saturday, they faced an early litmus test in a matchup against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. They passed with flying colors.

Nikita Kucherov scored twice and is now tied for the league-lead with 10 goals, and the Lightning torched Antti Niemi, defeating Pittsburgh 7-1.

Kucherov, who saw a six-game goal streak end in a 2-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, needed only 96 seconds to begin a new streak on Saturday.

Kucherov, who entered Saturday two goals off the NHL lead held by countryman Alex Ovechkin, scored his 10th of the season, matching Ovechkin's total, in the second period.

Kuchverov's linemate, and one of the big, missing, injured pieces from last season, Steven Stamkos, also scored, setting a Lightning franchise record with his 114th career power-play goal.

Though Stamkos' three goals aren't keeping pace with the 10 from Kucherov, the line has been incredibly productive. Along with teammate Vladislav Namestikov, the Lightning had the highest-scoring trio in the NHL (before the three forwards combined for three goals and six assists Saturday).

And though Stamkos isn't scoring, Kucherov's goals have very much been a factor of Stamkos: the latter has assisted on eight of the former's 10 goals, including primary assists on five of them.

There were questions entering the season as to if Kucherov, coming off a career-high 40 goals in a season Stamkos mostly missed due to injury, and a healthy Stamkos could coexist. Stamkos' career-high for assists in a single season is 46, and with the two he recorded in the Lighnting's victory on Saturday, he's up to 14 in nine games on this young season. (In that 46 assist season, it took Stamkos 18 games to reach 14 assists.)

Kucherov, who seems like he's got a goal on his stick every time he jumps over the boards, scored his 10th goal in game No. 20 last season, needing nine games to hit double-digits this time around.

Though the damage done on Saturday was against Niemi, who has struggled to play at an average level in his appearances for the Penguins this season, the Lightning also looked really good.

Tampa Bay improved to 7-1-1, and pace the NHL standings with 15 points.