Evgeny Kuznetsov sounds off on “couch experts”!

Washington Capitals superstar captain Alex Ovechkin is now second only to Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 894 goals scored, and it isn’t inconceivable to say that the Great 8 could eventually overtake Number 99 himself by the time his career is over. He's only 72 goals away after scoring a total of 42 in just 73 games in 2022-23. 

But if you think that his teammate and fellow Russian countryman Evgeny Kuznetsov is simply playing the game at this point just to get Ovi his record, think again. 

“These are couch experts discussing,” Kuznetsov said and as transcribed by Sports.ru’s Ekaterina Podgornaya. “Any normal person who is involved in hockey understands that he will beat [Gretzky] anyway. It’s a matter of time here. “Therefore, there is no such task, there was not and will not be, in order to purposefully play for Sasha. I think it’s stupid. Because it can’t be done. It doesn’t make sense. He will still beat him. And we will still celebrate it together.”

So, has he ever actually discussed the quest for overtaking Gretzky with his teammate? 

“No, what is there to discuss?” Kuznetsov asked. “It is clear that [Ovi] will score. It’s just a matter of time here. In general, we rarely discuss hockey among ourselves. We try to talk more on some other topics. Because there is so much hockey in our life.

“Therefore, our task is different – to move away from hockey for a couple of hours, when we sit at dinner or spend time somewhere else.”

Just how much longer will be be until the Great 8 overtakes Number 99 in the NHL goal scoring column? 

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