“Half the world will be mad at me immediately!”
– After the game, you took a photo with Ovechkin, because you gave him that historic pass to goal number 802.
“Yes, and I’ve always been amazed at how hungry Ovechkin is for heads. He always wants to score. It’s just amazing when you as a player are involved in that.
– Why didn’t you start scoring when you could shoot an empty goal? After all, Ovechkin gave you an assist to score. But you gave him back the puck.
“Yes, I will feel bad if I score, and half the world will immediately get mad at me,” Kuznetsov jokes. I have so many haters. It’s reputation or whatever, but I’d rather lose the puck or get it back when Ovi shoots than take credit for a goal that Ovechkin might have scored. And I’m happy that a historic moment happened in front of our fans.
– Is it so important to you?
– Actually, yes. It’s great that a huge crowd of Capitals fans saw this. Well, yes, it was a goal in an empty net. But I repeat that I am happy that it happened to us. And our fans deserve to be part of such a historic achievement.
– What was on Washington’s bench at the end of the game, when everyone had goosebumps and the historic moment was near?
Of course, it’s a special day. But you better ask Ovechkin. Here it is – better approach it.
“We all want to help Ovechkin in a good way”
We also spoke with Kuzey after the recent game with Toronto (5:2).
– You have a tradition in the locker room that the best player receives an unusual award…
– In fact, it is a real rope with which people are saved. Our trainer went to the rescue unit in the summer and took it from them. Before each season, someone invents something, and each time a new symbolic trophy appears in the locker room.
– We heard that in the circle of hockey players this rope is called “cheese pigtail” for its resemblance.
– Yes? Listen to it for the first time. Maybe I’m in the wrong circle? But lo and behold, after the game against the Maple Leafs, that trophy went to our defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who scored a hat-trick.
– The fact that Alexander Ovechkin continues his epic and legendary run – does it help all of “Washington”? Or maybe it puts pressure on the whole team?
– No, no, it doesn’t put pressure on the team. Maybe in someone’s head, something pops up. You are having a good time. I want one person to break the record and move on. I don’t know if he pays attention to it or not. But he’s still thinking about it somewhere in his head, isn’t he? And if you pull off Gordie Howe’s feat as quickly as possible, it will be easier to advance towards Wayne Gretzky’s record.
– And how do you personally perceive it?
“Nothing ever pressures me.
– You recently played in the top five with Sonny Milano…
– We have already played 10 games together! Yes, okay, okay. When we hold the puck, we try to play a pass. The coach sees it and gives extra shifts somewhere. It does not matter in which link you are – in the fourth or in the first. The bottom line is that if you play well, he will give you extra shifts. That’s how it turns out you play a lot and you’re on the ice when we score a goal.
– You didn’t upset your friend Ilya Samsonov too much? After all, Washington scored five goals for him.
Yes, I knew before the game that this would happen! But now we have one. He won this time, and now it’s our turn.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
