Late in a tight game between the Red Wings and Capitals, Dylan Larkin loses his stick in a scramble near the boards. A trainer, stationed behind the glass with no view of the play, quickly reaches for a replacement and blindly slides it toward the ice. At that exact moment, Evgeny Kuznetsov, aka “Koozie,” comes skating by and takes the full brunt of the incoming stick straight to the face. He goes down holding his mouth, clearly dazed and in pain, not fully sure what just hit him. Play continues, the score still tied at two, and the game heads into overtime.
In OT, Kuznetsov is back on the ice, still checking his teeth. Meanwhile, Larkin, now using the very stick that hit Kuznetsov, takes a pass near the slot, uses the screen from a defender, and slips the puck five-hole for the game-winner. The Red Wings celebrate the goal. Kuznetsov skates off, frustrated, knowing the same stick that busted his mouth also sealed the Caps’ loss.