San Jose: NHL scoring leader Steven Stamkos needs only to look across the dressing room to keep track of his closest competitor.
That would be Tampa Bay Lightning teammate Nikita Kucherov, two points behind.
“We don’t think about it that way,” Stamkos said.
“It’s a treat to play with him. Vlady, too. I know he flies under the radar but he’s a huge part of our line.”
Vladislav Namestnikov had two goals, Kucherov scored his 15th of the season and the Lightning ended San Jose’s four-game winning streak by beating the Sharks 5-1 on Wednesday night.
Jake Dotchin got his first career goal and Slater Koekkoek also scored for the Lightning (12-2-2), who lead the NHL standings with 26 points.
“That was a big moment,” Dotchin said. “That’s something I’ve been looking forward to since Day One of being in the league. Coming on a day we win makes it even better.”
