Evgeny Kuznetsov looked as sharp as last June, putting on a show against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night. Kuznetsov scored a goal and added three assists, leading the Washington Capitals to a 5-2 win in a 2018 Stanley Cup Final rematch.
Kuznetsov assisted on two goals by Alex Ovechkin and another by Nicklas Backstrom while scoring a power-play goal of his own. He was the leading scorer in the Cup Final with eight points in five games and now has seven points in the Capitals’ first three games of the new season.
“If you play with good players, you’re always going to get points,” Kuznetsov said after one of his best performances. “It’s about having fun every night. If you’re not enjoying it, you shouldn’t be playing hockey. But you can see we’re always having fun out there.”
The Capitals are off to a strong start, still riding the high of last season’s Stanley Cup win. Kuznetsov and Ovechkin have continued their playoff chemistry, again showing their dominance against the Golden Knights.
“He knows when to pass. He knows when to shoot,” said Ovechkin, who now has four goals in three games. “Sometimes he makes crazy passes, and you’re like, ‘What is he doing?’ But he knows what he’s doing.”
Ovechkin’s two goals moved him past Bobby Hull for 17th on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 611 career goals. Kuznetsov joked that Ovechkin passes someone every few games and said, “That’s a free meal for me.”
Capitals goalie Braden Holtby, who famously made “the save” in Game 2 of last season’s Final, stopped 29 of 31 shots. He came up big in the second period as the Golden Knights pressed hard. Cody Eakin scored for Vegas in the second period, and Reilly Smith added a third-period goal.
“We’ve played against them enough to know they’ll come at you,” Holtby said. “You just have to stay calm and not get frustrated. You need some big plays – a save, a block, or clearing the puck.”
On Thursday, Marc-Andre Fleury, who opted to start for Vegas rather than face his former team, Pittsburgh, allowed four goals on 28 shots. Fleury and his teammates made some costly mistakes and could not capitalize on the power play, going 0 for 3, extending their season total to 0 for 11.
“A few mistakes here and there, myself included,” Fleury said. “But if we clean that up, we’ll be in good shape.”
The Golden Knights, coming off a magical inaugural season, have struggled in their second campaign, falling to 1-3-0. Last season, they started 8-2-0.
“It’s a long season, and we have to figure things out quickly,” said Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore. “We must work through some things and return to our game.”
Game Notes:
- T.J. Oshie scored an empty-netter with 1:55 remaining, prompting “back-to-back” chants from Capitals fans.
- Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik returned early in the second period after taking a big hit from William Carrier in the first.
- With a lower-body injury, Vegas forward Paul Stastny will miss at least two more games. He will be re-evaluated after the road trip.
- Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny made his season debut after recovering from a concussion, and forward Dmitrij Jaskin made his Capitals debut after being claimed off waivers from St. Louis.
Up Next:
- Golden Knights: On Thursday night, continue their road trip against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- Capitals: Backup goalie Pheonix Copley is expected to start against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.