We'll be the first to admit that comparing Alex Ovechkin and Tom Kuhnhackl is a little strange.
While both have lifted Lord Stanley's mug (Kuhnhackl twice with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017), one has scored over 600 regular season goals, won the Hart Trophy on three occasions and has their name carved on the Conn Smythe trophy.
The other is, well, Kuhnhackl.
In his short time in the NHL, he's been a grinder. Although he's never been one to show up very much on the scoresheet, the 26-year-old from Germany has been a dependable fourth-line addition to any team he's played for.
Coming into Tuesday night, Ovechkin had 12 goals in 16 games this season. Kuhnhackl, on the other hand, entered the evening with 12 goals, too ….. in 174 regular season contests.
That must have been by design, though. Obviously he was saving something special for career goal No. 13:
Spinning away from a couple of Vancouver Canucks defenders early in the first period, the Isles forward fell to the ice and flung the puck towards the net. The creative maneuver clearly caught Vancouver netminder Jacob Markstrom by surprise as the shot beat him over the shoulder to tie the game up at one.
It's an impressive play from an unexpected source and that's what makes it all the more epic.
It also brings back visions of Ovechkin's ridiculous tally against the Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes back in 2006:
Over 12 years since Ovechkin caught the attention of the entire sports world with his acrobatics, Kuhnhackl reminded NHL goaltenders that you need to be alert at all times.
You never known when, where or how a puck will end up flying towards your net.
Update:Kuhnhackl added another goal early in the third period to lead the Islanders to a 5-2 victory in this one. He now has three goals and four points in seven games after spending some time in the AHL. Pick this guy up on your fantasy squad while he's hot! As of right now, he's owned in exactly 0% of Yahoo leagues.
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