Washington Capitals fans know the anxiety-inducing pressure of an NHL shootout all too well. Last season, the Caps went 2-3 in the skills competition and didn\u2019t win their first shootout until March.<\/p>\n
Many may yearn for the days when the Caps could more reliably snag the extra point from the jaws of stalemate, especially when players like TJ Oshie<\/strong> and Evgeny Kuznetsov<\/strong> led the team\u2019s shootout lineup.<\/p>\n The duo are among the best shootout performers since the league introduced the format in 2005-06. Among players with at least 50 attempts, Oshie and Kuznetsov\u2019s career shootout percentages both crack the top 10<\/a> in NHL history. Oshie sits at fourth all-time scoring at a 47.1 percent clip, while Kuznetsov ranks ninth with 43.3 percent. Only one player with more than 50 attempts has shot better than .500: Erik Christiansen (52.7 percent). 10th place Wojtek Wolski also donned a Capitals uniform during his career, playing 27 games for Washington in 2012-13, but wasn\u2019t called upon for a shootout while in DC.<\/p>\n NHL highest career shootout % (minimum 50 attempts)<\/p>\n One of the most famous moments of Oshie\u2019s career came in the shootout, though it wasn\u2019t in the NHL. His skills garnered international attention\u00a0at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, when he single-handedly defeated Team Russia by scoring four times in a group stage match shootout. Though Team USA went on to lose to Canada in the semifinals, Oshie\u2019s performance against Russia earned him the nickname \u201cTJ Sochi.\u201d His prowess from then on was impressive enough that back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Matthew Tkachuk said in July that he\u2019d pick Oshie over Wayne Gretzky in a do-or-die shootout<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s so tough,\u201d Tkachuk told podcaster Jon \u201cStugotz\u201d Weiner. \u201cI feel like I saw somewhere once Gretzky said he didn\u2019t like breakaways, which I find that that\u2019s not true, but one of my favorite moments in sports history was watching Oshie in the four-shootout-goal game, so I\u2019m going to take Oshie.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Kuznetsov, on the other hand, developed his trademark \u201cSlownetsov\u201d move to keep opponents on their toes. After starting off at normal speed, he\u2019d put on the brakes and approach the net at a snail\u2019s pace, dribbling the puck at least a dozen times before whipping it at the net.<\/p>\n The strategy drew the ire of some hockey pundits, including Gretzky, who suggested a shootout time limit in 2023. Kuznetsov shrugged off the criticism<\/a> at the time.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the whole point: you are one-on-one and there are no more rules,\u201d he said then. \u201cBy the time it\u2019s banned, I\u2019ll be retired.\u201d<\/p>\n\nRank
\nPlayer
\nAttempts
\nGoals
\nS\/O S%
\n<\/tr>\n\n 1<\/td>\n Erik Christensen<\/td>\n 55<\/td>\n 29<\/td>\n 52.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 2<\/td>\n Aleksander Barkov<\/td>\n 68<\/td>\n 33<\/td>\n 48.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 3<\/td>\n Jonathan Toews<\/td>\n 110<\/td>\n 52<\/td>\n 47.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 4<\/td>\n T.J. Oshie<\/td>\n 104<\/td>\n 49<\/td>\n 47.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 5<\/td>\n Tyler Seguin<\/td>\n 69<\/td>\n 32<\/td>\n 46.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 6<\/td>\n Frans Nielsen<\/td>\n 106<\/td>\n 49<\/td>\n 46.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 7<\/td>\n Mats Zuccarello<\/td>\n 86<\/td>\n 39<\/td>\n 45.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 8<\/td>\n Brad Boyes<\/td>\n 88<\/td>\n 39<\/td>\n 44.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 9<\/td>\n Evgeny Kuznetsov<\/td>\n 67<\/td>\n 29<\/td>\n 43.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 10<\/td>\n Wojtek Wolski<\/td>\n 58<\/td>\n 25<\/td>\n 43.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n