This screengrab looks like it could be an action shot on a hockey card.
Washington Capitals rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov has had an uneven season thus far. He’s spent most of his time on the team’s fourth line, learning the center position as he goes. He’s also seen a bunch of time on the team’s second power play unit.
On Wednesday, after tallying three points in his first eight games, Kuznetsov finally broke through for his first goal of the season.
It was a beauty. And it was all because of Braden Holtby.
After Holtby fielded a Red Wings clear on the penalty kill, he flipped the puck all the way down to the opposing blue line, where Joel Ward was standing. Ward gathered himself and sent a perfect pass to Kuznetsov streaking in all alone. Kuzya then dekes, before lifting the puck past Jimmy Howard’s outstretched blocker.
The goal was the Caps’ first of the game, after spending the first 33 minutes scoreless.
“We’ve talked about [these stretch passes] a lot more,” Holtby said to RMNB’s Chris Gordon after the game. “We’re not trying to do anything crazy fancy. We’re just trying to make simple plays and support each other.
“And like that, Wardo read it perfectly,” he said. “Those plays, if we can get on the same page, will happen more and more often.”
Well that’s exciting.
The assist was Holtby’s sixth of his career. It was awesome, but I’m still partial to this one though.
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