"Should be banned": Evgeny Kuznetsov's shootout tactic to secure Caps victory leaves fans irked

Evgeny Kuznetsov guided the Washington Capitals to their first win of the season, beating the Calgary Flames 3-2 in a shootout on Monday.

Kuznetsov, who has been long known for his exceptional stick-handling skills, used his trademark shootout tactic, which involved skating towards the goal at a snail's pace, and eased the puck past Jacob Markstrom to score the winner.

Fans, though, were not impressed with his technique. They took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the shootout, with one fan demanding a ban on the player's tactic:

"Should be banned."

Here are some of the best reactions to Evgeny Kuznetsov's shootout goal on X:

How did Evgeny Kuznetsov's Washington Capitals fare against the Calgary Flames?

The Washington Capitals hosted the Calgary Flames at Capital One Arena on Monday. The Flames dominated the game but couldn't maintain their 2-0 lead.

At the 4:47 mark of the first period, Adam Ruzicka put the Flames a goal ahead. With less than three minutes remaining before the end of the first, Dillon Dube's goal in the powerplay gave the team a two-goal advantage.

In the second period, the Washington Capitals rallied. Matthew Phillips' goal off Sonny Milano's assist cut the Flames' lead to 2-1. At the halfway mark, Connor McMichael tied the game for the Capitals, forcing overtime.

After both teams failed to break the deadlock in overtime, the game headed into the shootout, where Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the winner for the Washington Capitals. Phillips had two points, while John Carlson, McMichael, and Milano each had one in the contest.

Caps' Darcy Kuemper made 38 saves and finished the contest with a .950 SV%. Kuznetsov and Washington Capitals next play the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, October 18. The puck drops at 7 P.M. ET.