The Washington Capitals have experienced nothing but heartbreak and frustration in the NHL® Playoffs in recent years. With the score all even over halfway through the third period in Game 7, the Caps were looking for something special. They found an unexpected hero in the form of Evgeny Kuznetsov who stayed patient and made an incredible move against a very experienced playoff goalie in Jaroslav Halak to give the Caps the go-ahead goal. Check it out!

This hasn’t been the only time this Russian star has shined this year and it is causing collectors to take notice. Could Kuznetsov follow the path of so many great Russian stars before him and become the next Alex Ovechkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeni Malkin or Vladimir Tarasenko? It is certainly too early to tell, but if he continue to have playoff moments like this, his time may indeed be coming.

Check out just some of the cool Evgeny Kuznetsov cards from his rookie season produced exclusively by Upper Deck!