(Caps Outsider)
If 25 goals is what Coach Barry Trotz expects out of Evgeny Kuznetsov this season, then Kuzy decided Thursday was a good time to pile on, as he scored twice, and certainly had opportunities for more.
Both goals were vintage Kuzy, as his used his long strides and magic hands to snipe one past Jonathan Quick on a semi-breakaway, then bypass a 2-on-1 and instead shooting one through traffic.
Trotz praised Kuzy after the game for his awareness and high hockey IQ, but the mood after the 5-2 loss obviously wasn’t so great.
With eight goals on the season, and 28 points in 26 games, Kuzy leads the Caps in points but is still often seen making extra passing when a shot would suffice. This isn’t always a bad thing, as that’s the type of player he is, but considering the number of opportunities he creates for himself, there’s no reason his goal total shouldn’t be north of 30 at the end of the season.
He finished with four shots against the Kings, and it seemed only a matter of time before he got a hat-trick, but Quick made the difference in net. Kuzy even praised Quick as being one of the best goaltenders in the league. This after scoring on him twice.
Right between the chicken wing. #CapsKings #ALLCAPS https://t.co/d3LrXo6hVz
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 1, 2017
Good steal by Orlov, good finish by Kuznetsov. 🇷🇺🇷🇺
Watch the live stream here: https://t.co/GYZM39Ms8L pic.twitter.com/WyccCCfqHU
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) December 1, 2017
