The Washington Capitals made a bold move earlier in the week. Ahead of a game against the Arizona Coyotes, the Caps announced that veteran forward Evgeny Kuznetsov would not play. For the first time since 2021, Washington made Kuznetsov a healthy scratch. Now, the veteran forward is speaking out about that development.

The Capitals star was rather blunt in his feelings on the matter. In fact, he only needed two words to convey his thoughts on not playing against a red-hot Coyotes team. “It's s**t,” he said, via The Hockey News.

Capitals lose without Evgeny Kuznetsov

The change didn't produce any major spark for Washington on the ice. They fell to the Coyotes 6-0 on Monday night. That victory marked Arizona's fifth consecutive win against recent Stanley Cup champions, as well. For Kuznetsov, not being able to help the team was the worst part of it all.

“That was s**t. It's not easy to watch the game or be not with the team or kind of step away one day and unfortunately not able to help the team and especially in that game,” he said, via The Hockey News. “I felt bad because I felt like I had to be there and had to help the team better in every area.”

Head coach Spencer Carbery said he felt the veteran forward needed a “mental reset.” And Kuznetsov will slot back into the Capitals lineup on Thursday. He enters that game motivated to return to form, as well as prove a few people wrong. “Those people putting a lot of pressure and a lot of bad words on my name, I’ll pay back one day and use that as a motivation,” the Capitals forward said.

Washington has lost two games in a row. Thursday night sees them play host to the Dallas Stars as the Caps look to avoid a third straight loss. Let's see if Kuznetsov's presence can make a difference and result in a much-needed win.