In the first half of the season, Evgeny Kuznetsov was a shadow of what he should have been. Learning to play a new position and adjusting to new tactics and a new language, Kuznetsov struggled. He sometimes looked lost in the new Caps system.
But in the last week Evgeny Kuznetsov has looked like a superstar in the making.
Behold these two passes authored by Kuzy in the second period.
In two consecutive shifts, Kuznetsov created dangerous scoring chances for Marcus Johansson.
Mike Green broke out and found Troy Brouwer at the Flyers blue line. Brouwer stalled, then fed the puck to Kuznetsov. The rookie center needled a pass to Johansson who barely muffed the finish.
Two minutes later, Kuznetsov authored one of the most creative passes of his career. As he curled behind the Flyers net, Kuznestov put the puck on his forehand and sent a no-look pass behind his body and towards the crease.
Johansson also shanked this attempt, but wow, what a pass.
