Sergei Kostitsyn And His Worst Play Ever
By Jason Kirk
Remember how good times were when he just turned the puck over instead of skating off the ice too? (PHOTO: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)
Sergei Kostitsyn was a KHL All-Star during the NHL lockout. Now, I’ve not seen a ton of KHL hockey, but I have to assume he played a lot better over there than he has this season for the Nashville Predators. After tonight, I have to wonder if he’s not looking for a first-class ticket back over there.
During a Nashville power play in the third period against the Edmonton Oilers, Kostitsyn was playing the right point and missed a pass fired back to him from the far corner. He skated back trying to retrieve it but was beaten by Sam Gagner trying to get to it. So what did Sergei decide to do? He was already next to the bench, so he decided to leave the ice.
Way to go, Sergei. (PHOTO: Jim Diamond @diamondhockey on Twitter)
Never mind the fact that his coaches were waving frantically and yelling at him to get back out there. He got over the boards, Gagner hit Lennert Petrell with a pass since there was nobody there to stop it, and Petrell scored shorthanded to give the Oilers a 2-1 lead.
Twitter immediately blew up:
Absolutely unacceptable. SK74 -- who's on the point on the PP -- gets beaten by his man up the ice.... AND GOES FOR A CHANGE!
— Cell Block 303 (@Cellblock303) March 18, 2013
Oilers score shorthanded. And this is why I don't like watching hockey anymore.
— Rachael Moody Forbes (@Rachael6716) March 18, 2013
awful decision by SK74. My goodness
— Willy Daunic (@WillyD1025) March 18, 2013
Oh Sergei. Great time to go for a change.
— Jim Diamond (@diamondhockey) March 18, 2013
That's the end of Kostitsyn on the point as far as I'm concerned. That was completely inexcusable.
— Seth Lake (@SLakePreds) March 18, 2013
That is an inexcusable play by an NHL hockey player.
— Robby Stanley (@RStanleyNHL) March 18, 2013
Trotz was literally jumping up and down pointing to Sergei to go back.
— 4th & Union (@4thAndUnion) March 18, 2013
Shorthanded goal from Petrell as Kostitsyn goes for a line change on a 2-on-1 breakaway. Wow, unreal...
— Kristopher Martel (@kmartel_sports) March 18, 2013
WHAT AM I SEEING
— Jeff Chapman (@NewWaveOil) March 18, 2013
Awesome job Sergei...
— Big Ben (@BigBenPreds) March 18, 2013
And the #Oilers scored shorthanded. I absolutely cannot believe that just happened. 2-1, Edmonton now.
— Cell Block 303 (@Cellblock303) March 18, 2013
SK74, that was so KHL…
— Codey H. (@codeyh) March 18, 2013
Trade Kostitsyn...F'n useless....beyond pissed right now
— Jeremy Sargent (@Preducated) March 18, 2013
Take Sergei off the the damn point on PP. Terrible
— Chris Mason's Beard (@BeardofMason) March 18, 2013
That was shorthanded. Wow, that was just bad...
— Josh Cooper (@JoshuaCooper) March 18, 2013
Kostitsyn would have backchecked there but he didn't want to break curfew.
— Fear the Fin (@fearthefin) March 18, 2013
Kostitsyn clearly wasn't pleased with his performance on the power play and chose to bench himself. It was really quite brave.
— Link (@3DLink) March 18, 2013
Sergei Kostitsyn was a healthy scratch in the game against Calgary, which was supposed to send him a message. Apparently it didn’t get through. If SK74 hits the ice again anytime in the near future when hard-working players like Zach Boychuk and Chris Mueller ride the pine, Preds fans will have every right to question what on earth is going on with their front office and coaching staff.