Alex Ovechkin slewfoots former teammate in his return to Washington

It was well documented that Evgeny Kuzntesov had made multiple requests during his time to force a trade. Kuzntesov had made it known he was looking for a fresh start over the last three seasons. It wasn't until this year's trade deadline that Kuzntesov finally got what he wanted.

Today Kuzntesov played his first game against his former team. In the first period of the game former teammate Alex Ovechkin wasted little time welcoming back Kuzntesov. As Kuzy skates along the far boards, Ovechkin somes up from behind and offers a subtle collision of the skates sending Kuzy to the ice.


Ovechkin was able to avoid a penalty on this play, but it will be interesting to see if this narrative continues throughout the game. Kuzntesov wasn't too bothered by the trip though and laughed it off.