The Russian newcomer is already putting Canada on the ears. It seems coach Kuzmenko wasn’t joking about throwing like Ovechkin

Dmitry YerykalovHe did not stop even at the double. Just yesterday we admired how the unnecessary SKA Kirill Marchenko makes his way to the NHL. But a day has passed, and we have new heroes. For example, Egor Chinakhov, a teammate and competitor of Marchenko. While one Russian forward was resting, another from the first link scored a double. The shootout between Marchenko and Chinakhov will be interesting to watch in the season, if both remain in the first team. But another ex-SKA player spoke even brighter. In theory, Andrei Kuzmenko should have been in approximately the same situation as Marchenko. That is, compete with a more experienced countryman. In the case of Kuzmenko, this is Ilya Mikheev, who, although he is the same rookie for Vancouver, already has several seasons in the league behind him. However, Mikheev’s injury made life easier for Kuzmenko, who does not hesitate and takes a chance. Even in his debut match with Calgary, Kuzmenko scored an assist. Worthy, but not enough to sing his praises. Another thing is the game with Seattle. Even though her killer whales lost, Andrey managed to participate in all three goals of his team. And he got down to business already in the third minute. “The very first day I saw him, I thought:“ If he is as good as he is advertised, he will put the whole city on the ears. I don’t want to draw too many parallels, but his throw from the left circle reminds me of Ovechkin, ”Bruce Boudreau said about Kuzmenko. The words of the Vancouver head coach were a little surprised. Still, Kuzmenko was more likely to be remembered for playing in the KHL for his tricks and his endless “snails”. Yes, he stands confidently on his feet, does not shy away in a power struggle and can quit. But in his top three, Anton Burdasov, as a rule, answered for the completion of attacks. Kuzmenko, on the other hand, played more in accompaniment. Having moved across the ocean, he seems to have decided to do everything himself. Kuzmenko entered the game with Seattle in the second link. On the opposite side of him is a young Swede, Linus Karlsson, who, like Andrei, only moved from Europe this summer. But the center of these newcomers was not anyone, but Elias Pettersson. He himself has never been a veteran and is even two years younger than Kuzmenko. However, this subtle playmaker has four NHL seasons on his resume, three with 60+ points. It was from Pettersson that Kuzmenko received a chic diagonal pass when the Canucks got the chance to convert the majority for the first time in the match. Andrei stood at the far post and just waited for someone to deliver the projectile to the hook for him. It was harder to miss than to hit, but let’s note the choice of the Russian’s position. The majority feeds any sniper, and it is especially important that Kuzmenko proves himself in this component. In this match, he spent 5:56 in unequal lineups, and in the previous one, he spent more than 7 minutes at all. Kuzmenko didn’t stop there and took part in another successful draw of the majority. By the end of the first period, he had 2+1, and the team was leading 3:1. However, the next two twenty minutes were not so successful. Seattle made a comeback, and the opponent scored one of the goals in the presence of a Russian newcomer. As a result – “0” in terms of utility. But even if Andrey went into the red, this did not reduce the degree of adoration, which is only growing in Canada.