Capitals star admits that the Leafs are on the right track

Last week, Capitals forward Evgeni Kuznetsov was the talk of the NHL for his ultra-slow shootout move. Yesterday, Kuznetsov and the Capitals welcomed the Leafs to town, though he probably wishes they hadn't, as the Leafs ended up beating the Caps 4-1 in what was a dominant performance by Joseph Woll, who made 16 saves in the first period alone.

Ahead of the game, Kuznetsov was asked about the Leafs, their playoff struggles and what he thinks of the team in general. In response, Kuznetsov preached patience for Leaf fans.


Kuznetsov is speaking from his personal experience given that it took the Capitals many attempts just to get past the second round. Alexander Ovechkin had been in the league 12 years by the time the Caps won the Cup and he isn't alone. Nathan MacKinnon had been in the league 9 years before the Avalanche got over the hump and won the Stanley Cup in 2022 and Steven Stamkos took 12 years before winning his first of two Stanley Cups. Sometimes patience is key and it is something that Leaf fans do not have much of for obvious reasons, but if recent history means anything, it's that teams that were consistently considered Cup favourites eventually had their day and were rewarded for their patience.