Andriy almost reached the point-per-game chart.

Vancouver Canucks rookie Andrey Kuzmenko there is a new reason for pride. The Russian scored another 2 (1 + 1) points in the winning match against Vegas and got to victory by 18 points in 20 regular season matches.

“18 points after 20 matches? I was hoping for 20 points after 19 matches.”– the agent of the Russian escaped Dan Milstein, Kuzmenko will soon have a suspicion of a new contract. And this contract, if things go on like this, will inevitably be for a substantial amount. In the list of Vancouver’s top scorers this season, Kuzmenko is in fifth place, seven points behind the leader. Elias Petterson. At the same time, he is the fourth hockey player of the team in terms of utility (+5).

In club history, only two Canucks rookies have scored more points in the first 20 games of the season: Petterson had 21 points in 20 games, and scored 19 points in the early 1990s. Igor Larionovwhich, however, a beginner can be considered a stretch.

“NHL It’s a completely different league. Now I began to understand how I need to act, but I need to constantly prepare. Now I understand that I did a good job and I started to succeed. It’s a big challenge for me, I’m learning every day. Defense can be very difficult. Our head coach helps me. In the KHL, I could relax a bit. In the security zone it was normal, it’s not a problem. But in the NHL, one second of rest is already a risk, it’s not good. This is a great responsibility. Every day I work. Now I understand defense games. It’s very important for the NHL.”Kuzmenko said.

“Andrew is very good. There is no doubt that Pettersson is the engine of any trio, regardless of who he plays with, and Kuzmenko is more of an auxiliary tool. The main problem for the Russian is his ability to consume, as he has high losses for his players, which often leads to dangerous scoring chances.

The good news is that Kuzmenko’s appearance in the disclosure does not require scrutiny, rather than effort. With his high hockey IQ and the fact that he’s still adjusting to the North American style, it’s realistic to expect his two-way game to improve as the season progresses. And it’s going to be an interesting storyline.”– noted the author of the blog about “Vancouver” Canucks Army Bill Huang.