Taylor's Talking Point: Kucherov's rant good for game?

The Lightning won their second consecutive Stanley Cup on Wednesday night with a 1-0 win over the Canadiens in Game 5.

The most highlight-worthy scene of the night, though, came afterward.

Nikita Kucherov had one of the last press conferences of the night, and by the time it was his turn at the podium he already seemed to be a few beers deep.

Kucherov took four questions. In his answers he ripped Canadiens fans, Vezina voters, and a reporter's microphone, among other things.

It goes without saying, but there's a language warning on this:

Personally, I loved it. The NHL does a terrible job at marketing its stars' personalities, and that's one of the reasons why I think hockey is a distant fourth in popularity among the four main professional sports leagues in North America.

Obviously Kucherov's press conference is an exceptional example, but it's an instance of a glimpse at a player's personality, and it was fun. It went viral on social media and was shown repeatedly on television. If you weren't aware of Kucherov before, something like this might entice a would-be fan to look into Kucherov as a player or the Lightning as a team. 

Of course not everyone agrees with the specific things Kucherov said, but that's part of the fun of it. It's more exciting than some of the usual canned answers. 

Social media reaction was mixed. Some people -- even some Canadiens fans -- liked the openness of Kucherov's answers.

Others were offended:

Bud Light loved the press conference and announced a sponsorship deal for Kucherov on Friday afternoon.

YOUR TURN: What did you think of Kucherov's postgame?