Kaprizov continued to augment his status as one of the NHL's top prospects. He added three assists Sunday and finished the Olympics tied for first in goals (five) and second in scoring (nine points).
His goal after 1 a.m. CT Sunday secured Russia's first Olympic gold medal in hockey since 1992. Featuring the likes of former NHLers Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk, the Olympic Athletes from Russia -- so named due to the country's doping-related ban from these Winter Games -- entered as the odds-on favorite.
But they trailed 3-2 with less than a minute left in regulation Sunday. Nikita Gusev scored his second of the night to force overtime, then set up Kaprizov's historical clincher that will go down as one of the top moments in Russia's proud hockey history.
"When we conceded the third goal, it was unbelievable," Kaprizov told the Russian Ice Hockey Federation website afterward. "However, it's good that we managed to score, too; all of the guys did a great job. My goal in overtime? Nikita Gusev gave me a fantastic pass, and I was lucky that it went in."
