TAMPA – Before Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov could enjoy the success he has had during his second season in the NHL, he had to go through the growing pains of being a rookie.

After scoring his first career NHL goal on his first shot, Kucherov's rookie season featured everything someone might expect a 20-year-old from Russia to go through. He had scoring droughts, he was the target of physical play and he dealt with the natural culture shock of being in a new place.

On the surface Kucherov's rookie season was a slight disappointment. He had nine goals and nine assists in 52 games. His struggles were magnified when he became a healthy scratch for two games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But Lightning coach Jon Cooper said it was a valuable learning experience that he needed.

"He dealt with a lot of adversity as a rookie," Cooper said. "He took a lot of lumps and he learned some important lessons. He came out strong and I think he felt like he was going to score all the time, and that's the mentality of most scorers. But it didn't happen and he had to learn how to create opportunities for himself and a big part of that was improving his play without the puck."

Kucherov has heard the message loud and clear and the proof is in a sophomore season that has exceeding expectations. He has 23 goals and 31 assists through 64 games. His plus-minus rating of +32 is second overall in the league.

The line he shares with Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat has combined for 82 points when they are on the ice together, according to dobbersports.com. And he's gaining a reputation as a gritty goal scorer who isn't afraid to fight for position around the crease despite his size (5-foot-11, 171 pounds).

"A lot of goals are scored in the areas around the net and in a league with so much skills you have to work harder to get in position to score," Kucherov said. "You have to fight for the rebounds and try to score that way."

Kucherov has dealt with scoring droughts this season as well. He failed to score a goal in the month of January but he continued to excel as a set-up guy for Johnson and Palat.

"He is a great teammate because he makes a lot of plays you really don't appreciate at first," Johnson said. "He might not score a goal one night but he'll cause a turnover that sets up a goal or he'll provide a good screen."

Cooper said that Kucherov's ability to make plays without the puck are a sign of maturity for the 21-year-old from Moscow.

"I think he's more of a seasoned pro now and he knows you're not going to score goals every night in this league," Cooper said. "However he's knows that there are several things you can do to make a difference in a game without putting the puck in the net."

Kucherov has also become more comfortable in his surroundings and in the locker room. He is a fan of television shows like The Walking Dead and has used them to as tools to improve his English. He is more comfortable dealing with the media and he is occasionally seen joking with his teammates in the locker room after morning skates or after big wins.

"I am still learning and sometimes I have difficulties understanding everything but I'm not as worried about being misunderstood now," Kucherov said. "I try to just talk and answer everything."

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said Kucherov's increasing comfort off the ice has contributed to his comfort on the ice and improvements to his game.

"You can tell things just come so much easier to him now," Stamkos said. "He's very talent and he can do a lot of things on the ice. So the more comfortable and confident he is with his surroundings the more it shows up in his play. I think he's happy where he is in his career and he's happy on this team."

The next challenge for Kucherov will be the playoffs. After being a spectator for two playoff games against Montreal last season, he's going to be expected to provide major ice time along with the most productive line in the NHL.

It's something he's looking forward to.

"You hear about how much faster the game is in the playoffs and how much tougher the game is," Kucherov said. "I am looking forward to playing at that level and helping the team try to win a championship."