It's been a long, arduous climb, but Washington Capitals pivot Evgeny Kuznetsov is finally back among the league's best.

The 24-year-old broke out with a two-goal performance against the New Jersey Devils last night, earning his first multi-goal effort of the season.

But Kuznetsov's return to elite production extends far beyond his most recent display. After posting just nine points through the first 23 games of 2016-17, the young Russian has been dominating since early December.

He's amassed 28 points over his past 26 games, righting the ship in a significant way while the Capitals have surged.

The past month heading into the All-Star break has been particularly kind to Kuznetsov. Over that span he's tied Brad Marchand for the second-most points in the league - 20 in 17 games - topped only by his captain Alex Ovechkin's 21.

Kuznetsov's 14 assists over the past month are tied for first among all skaters, level with teammate Nicklas Backstrom.

Washington has undoubtedly benefited greatly from Kuznetsov's sharp turnaround. After losing seven of 12 games before he rediscovered his offensive skill, the Caps have won 20 of their past 26 games with the young star rolling.

He's certainly getting help as Ovechkin, Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, and Justin Williams have all posted at least 17 points over the past 17 games as well, but there's no denying the Capitals are a different team with Kuznetsov firing on all cylinders.

The young pivot finished among the top-10 scorers in the league last season with 77 points to his name. If he keeps scoring at the rate he's shown over the past month (1.18 points per game), he'll tally another 39 points over the final 33 games of the year, leaving him with 76 by year's end.

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