Evgeny Kuznetsov’s place in the Capitals’ lineup got even murkier on Sunday against the LA Kings when he registered a season-low 12:46 on ice. Entering the game on the top line beside Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson, Kuznetsov spent much of the latter half of that LA game stapled to the bench, receiving just 2:43 of ice time in the third period.
Kuznetsov’s last mid-game benching came in early December against the Vegas Golden Knights, where he spent much of the night on the fourth line before head coach Spencer Carbery healthy-scratched him in the following game.
Despite a recent promotion to the first line, Kuznetsov has continued to struggle in recent games and remains on track for the worst-scoring full season of his NHL career. After Carbery’s statement against the Kings, Kuznetsov could potentially move down the lineup once again–or even out of it entirely.
Carbery’s decision came after the Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson line allowed a goal from Kings forward Kevin Fiala, turning what was once a lead to a 2-1 deficit.
Ovechkin spent the remainder of the game with Dylan Strome and Max Pacioretty, while Kuznetsov and Wilson moved to the third line with Hendrix Lapierre.
“I didn’t like a sequence in the second period,” Carbery said of the changes postgame.
Kuznetsov would not play again in the second period and saw just three shifts in the third period. Though Wilson also sat for the remainder of the second period, he played more than Kuznetsov in the third (3:30) despite being injured and missing nearly half the frame tending to a banged-up nose.
After his unnecessary slashing penalty against the Carolina Hurricanes helped seal the Caps’ 6-2 loss on Friday, Kuznetsov came into the Kings game already on (metaphorically) thin ice. Carbery spoke on Kuznetsov’s fluctuating play on Saturday, noting that his poor performance against the Canes came after a two-point night vs New Jersey the prior game.
“I thought last night wasn’t great,” Carbery said then. “The previous night was his best game of the season. And it wasn’t because he scored. I thought there was tons of different instances where he was moving his feet, looked fast. Won puck battles in the defensive and offensive zone. Was able to execute the skill plays off entry — he made a great play to Tom Wilson, set him up for a grade A (chance) that didn’t end up going into the net, but it was a perfect Kuznetov skill, delay off entry, find the weak side sort of trailer.
“It’s a consistency thing and being able to do that night after night. It’s not always going to end up in a goal or an assist, but there needs to be a certain level that you can rely on. Especially as playing as a first line center in the National Hockey League against other teams’ best players.”
Sunday night marked Kuznetsov’s fifth straight game on the top line (including one as a winger), a somewhat puzzling decision considering his struggles this season playing besides Ovechkin. When playing together at five-on-five this season, the duo has been outscored 10-4, seeing just 39% of scoring chances, 42% of shot attempts, and 33% of expected goals.
Even when reuniting the two last week in the hopes of increasing the team’s offense, Carbery admitted they had fared poorly together in the past.
“We’re looking at all different options from Kuz going back to the middle playing with O,” he said then. “They have not had a good run when they were together earlier this year, so it’s a little bit of a leap of faith.”
If Kuznetsov’s move off Ovechkin’s line sticks, Carbery would have some time to test potential changes. After a day off Monday, the Caps will have two days of practice before their next game against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
