Capitals’ Kuznetsov Finishes Last In Fastest Skater, McDavid Falls Short At 2022 All-Star Skills

Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov said that fastest skater competition be a challenge while facing previous champs like Connor McDavid and Dylan Larkin, among other top names at 2022 NHL All-Star Skills. And despite falling short, he still made the most of it with a graceful performance.

The Russian took off and wasn’t necessarily flying, instead showcasing his smooth-skating ability. He knocked over a cone with his stick to start, but dodged the pylons for the most part as he skated. He wasn’t crossing over constantly and didn’t mind gliding, and ultimately, he finished his lap at 14.556 seconds, the lowest of the pack.

Out of the eight skaters, Kuznetsov finished last. Besides Kuznetsov, Larkin and Cale Makar were the only other skaters to finish with a time over 14 seconds.

However, No. 92 did not look disappointed and was still in high spirits, celebrating on the way to the bench. He’d said beforehand that his goal was to “stay on his feet,” and he certainly did.

“I’m just gonna flow,” he added.

Hey, not falling without a helmet on is a win. Plus, he’s having the time of his life in Vegas so far — and has quite a few fans in his fellow All-Stars, too. Here’s his attempt:

#ALLCAPS Kuznetsov fastest skater. pic.twitter.com/ujl7kcJDa7

— Capitals Replays (@capsreplays) February 5, 2022

Meanwhile, McDavid, the three-time champion and arguably the fastest skater in the league, did not win. He clocked in at 13.6 seconds, finishing fourth. Jordan Kyrou won with a time of 13.550 seconds.

Here are the full results:

Results

1. Jordan Kyrou, St. Louis Blues – 13.550 seconds
2. Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings – 13.585 seconds
3. Chris Kreider, New York Rangers – 13.664 seconds
4. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers – 13.690 seconds
5. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche – 13.834 seconds
6. Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets – 13.851 seconds
7. Dylan Larkin, Deetroit Red Wings – 14.116 seconds
8. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals – 14.559 seconds

This was Kuznetsov’s first go-of-it in the fastest skater competition. The last time he was in the All-Star competition back in 2016, he participated in the breakaway challenge, donning a cowboy hat and sunglasses as a vintage tribute to captain Alex Ovechkin.