Photo credit: 74hockey.ru

Don’t look now, but wayward Capital Evgeny Kuzetsov has started the 2012-13 KHL season with two goals in two games.

In Traktor Cheylabinsk’s first away game of the year on Monday, the defending Continental Cup champions held a huge shot advantage over Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (41-24), but were unable to crack Avtomobilist’s all-star goalie Chris Holt through two periods. With less than nine minutes to go in the game however, Traktor finally dented the twine. After a Avtomobilist defender turned the puck over at center ice, Kuzya sprinted the puck into the offensive zone and wristed a shot past Holt glove side. The goal was unassisted.

Kuzya’s goal is at the very beginning of the video.

Andrey Popov then scored a few minutes later, and Maxim Yakutsenya sealed it with a late empty-netter — giving Traktor two straight wins over divisional rivals to start the season.

Kuznetsov, who led the KHL in game-winning goals last year (9 of his 19 were GWGs), is off to the races again this season. On the other end of the ice, thanks to goalie Michael Garnett, Traktor is the only KHL team not to allow a goal.

It’s not all good news for Traktor though: Kuznetsov’s goal celebration was meh. So much for consistency.

On Thursday, Traktor takes on SKA and then a day after the NHL CBA is set to expire, they will play Dynamo Moscow. No word yet, if a certain great eight will suit up.