The Washington Capitals center tried to enter the Pittsburgh Penguins bench in hopes of avoiding a penalty during the second period of their game at Capital One Arena on Sunday.
Kuznetsov was skating out of his defensive zone when he realized Washington had six skaters in the play. He tried to get off the ice by booking it to the nearest bench but was rebuffed by Pittsburgh players.
Unfortunately his attempt was too late, and the officials whistled the Capitals for the infraction. But he still earned praise from Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
"That's a smart play," Crosby said after the game. "Give him credit. If you can't get to your own [bench], you might as well try that."
Kuznetsov scored a goal later in the game, but Pittsburgh claimed a 4-3 win.
NHL.com Staff Writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report.
