Evgeny Kuznetsov’s infamous slow shootout technique has seen him ranked second for success rate in the National Hockey League, but Wayne Gretzky wants it to be stopped after claiming he "hates it".
The Washington Capitals star has an 83.3 percent success rate in shootouts this season, and his unique approach has become a talking point within the NHL. Kuznetsov certainly takes his time before unleashing his shots at goal during shootouts, but due to maintaining forward motion he isn't breaking any rules.
Gretzky is not a fan of it, and has called for the NHL to introduce a shot timer in order to put a stop to Kuznetsov's tricks. Changes to shootout rules have been discussed in the past, and now Gretzky is keen to put pressure on the league, as he cited the recent success of Major League Baseball's pitch clock as evidence that it can work.
"I hate it," Gretzky said as TNT played a highlight of Kuznetsov’s most recent slow shootout goal. "[There] should be a rule, should be a time clock like in baseball. Come on, you never get a breakaway in a game and you do that.
"You get seven seconds, eight seconds. That’s my opinion." But it wasn't just the timing from Kuznetsov that angered Gretzky, as he felt as though the way he handles his stick is disrespectful to the opposition too.
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"Even the stick twirl, we would hate that one on the bench too," Gretzky said. "I know we’re living in a different era but there’s still something about having some dignity for the game in my estimation.
"[If I did that], 20 guys from the other team would have jumped over the boards and if somebody would have done it against us, 20 guys from our team would have went over the boards. You got to protect the goalies, right?
"If you can’t get there in eight seconds you don’t deserve to be taking the shot." In Kuznetsov's defence, he's the second-most clinical shooter in the league, even while taking his time.
Kuznetsov was asked about his shootout technique following a spike in criticism, but claimed that his methods make him feel more comfortable. "I don’t know to be honest with you," Kuznetsov told RMNB.
"I don’t know what [the goalies] think but I feel much more comfortable in terms of the timing and stick-handling. In terms of my angle, I feel much more comfortable when I’m coming slower. I do look at the goalie for long time and see what he’s doing, how deep he is."
Many players around the NHL have pushed for shootouts to be stopped all together, even before Kuznetsov began his clearly frustrating technique. But for now the Capitals star isn't doing anything wrong, and it's working.
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