TAMPA, Fla.- The NHL announced its top performers for the holiday week on Monday, with Tampa Bay Lightning standout Nikita Kucherov taking home First Star honors after a dominant offensive showing.
Joining Kucherov in the league's "Three Stars" presented by GEICO for the week ending Dec. 28 are Seattle Kraken winger Eeli Tolvanen (Second Star) and Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovský (Third Star).
First Star: Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Kucherov continues to prove why he is one of the league's premier playmakers. The 32-year-old right winger led all NHL skaters with six points (four goals, two assists) over just three games, powering the Lightning to a perfect 3-0-0 week. His performance vaulted Tampa Bay (22-13-3) into second place in the Atlantic Division.
After tallying two assists against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 22, Kucherov took over goal-scoring duties later in the week. He netted two goals -- including the game-winner -- to sink state rivals the Florida Panthers 4-2 on Dec. 27. The following night, he posted another multi-goal game during a 5-4 shootout win over Montreal. Kucherov, a perennial Art Ross Trophy contender, currently sits seventh in league scoring with 49 points in 34 games.
Second Star: Eeli Tolvanen (Seattle Kraken)
Seattle's playoff push got a massive boost from Eeli Tolvanen, who matched Kucherov's six-point output (two goals, four assists) across three contests. Tolvanen was instrumental in guiding the Kraken (16-14-6) to their fourth consecutive victory, putting the team just a single point shy of a Western Conference playoff berth.
The 26-year-old was a consistent force throughout the week, starting with an assist against Anaheim and adding two more against Los Angeles. He capped his run with a stellar three-point night against the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 28, scoring twice and adding an assist. Tolvanen is currently riding a six-game point streak and leads the Kraken in scoring this season with 25 points.
Third Star: Juraj Slafkovský (Montreal Canadiens)
Former No. 1 overall pick Juraj Slafkovský earned Third Star honors thanks to a highly efficient five points (three goals, two assists) in just two games. His efforts helped Montreal (20-12-6) extend their point streak to five games.
Slafkovský was a key factor in the Canadiens' 6-2 rout of the Boston Bruins on Dec. 23, contributing a goal and an assist. He followed that up with a dramatic performance against Tampa Bay on Dec. 28, where he scored twice — including a game-tying goal with just 3.8 seconds left on the clock — and added an assist in a hard-fought shootout loss. The 21-year-old has 28 points on the season.