Evgeny Kuznetsov steals the puck before scoring his first goal of the game. (Photo credit: Atlant Moscow Region).

On Friday, Washington Capitals top prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov scored two goals and tallied the game-winning shootout goal (aka the DC Hat Trick) in Traktor Cheylabinsk’s 4-3 win over Atlant. Kuznetsov has now scored in four-straight games, and has 16 goals on the season, which puts him tied for 5th amongst all KHL players.

Now let’s see these highlights.

Kuznetsov’s goals are at the 1:15 and 3:45 marks. His shootout attempt is at 6:15.

Late in the first, Kuzya gave Traktor a 2-1 lead on a goal where he showed both great strength and a nose for the net. After winning a puck battle near the boards (see the headline picture), Kuzya fed the puck to a teammate who fired a one-timer. Kuzya, hooked and held by an Atlant defensemen, then was the first to the rebound and slammed the puck home.

At the end of the second period, Kuzya tied the game at three with a breakaway goal. The score would stay that way until the shootout. Kuznetsov would then take care of business then, too, scoring on his shootout attempt with a surprise shot from the slot that fooled Anton Khudobin. Traktor would win the shootout with a score of 2-0, and the game 4-3.

Evgeny Kuznetsov plays some pre-game soccer.

Kuznetsov is stopped on a breakaway at 1:55. His two shootout goals can be seen at 3:45.

Taking a tenuous 2-0 lead into the third period, Traktor Cheylabinsk unraveled in the final minutes against host Avangard Omsk on Sunday. First, 4:31 into the final frame, the KHL’s leading goal-scorer, Roman Cervenka, scored on a cross-crease pass to bring Avangard within one. Then ten minutes later, Omsk’s Yegor Averin scored on a broken play in front of Traktor’s net to force overtime.

With neither team able to rally in the extra session, the game went to a shootout. And that’s when Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov did his thing. The 19-year-old right wing, who’s clutch play this season has given him the KHL lead in game-winning goals (five), scored not once, but twice. How is that possible you ask? In Russia, after the first three rounds of a shootout, if there is a tie, you are allowed to send out the same shooters again.

Kuznetsov scored in the sudden death round (using the same exact move he did the first time – what stones he has!) while Cervenka was stopped. With the victory, Traktor now owns the best record in the league and leads the Eastern Conference’s second-place team Amur by 12 standings points.

Notes: With first-line center (and former Capital) Jan Bulis out with injury, Kuznetsov has been playing center instead of his customary right wing. This was Evgeny’s second game-winning shootout goal of the year. His other came in Traktor’s 4-3 win over Neftekhimik on September 21st.

Additional reporting by Fedor Fedin.