On most nights in the NHL, teams rely on offensive stars — see: Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews.
On Tuesday night, though, Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson decided it was time he lit the lamp.
The 26-year-old netminder became the first Minnesota goalie to record a goal in an NHL contest when he launched the puck the length of the ice to tickle the twine during the Wild’s 4-1 win over the Blues.
FILIP GUSTAVSSON GOALIE GOAL pic.twitter.com/RDakJY7YrZ
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) October 16, 2024
“They’re probably trying to make me get a whistle and get a faceoff in our zone,” Gustavsson said. “They just put it straight in the glove and try and put it down as quick as it could. It laid perfect on the ice, and I just tried to shoot it as hard as I could.”
MORE: Blue Jackets late star Johnny Gaudreau with emotional tributes
NHL goalies with a goal
There are goalie goals, and then there are goals scored by a goaltender. It’s an important distinction.
Some goaltenders have been credited with scoring a goal because they were the last player on their team to touch the puck before it went in the net. This usually happens when an opponent accidentally puts the puck in their own net.
Then there are instances where goalies are doing the hard part — shooting a puck the length of the ice into the cage.
Gustavsson became the 10th different goalie to shoot the puck directly into the net, and the first to do so since Tristan Jarry’s goal for the Penguins in November 2023.
Here is the full list of those goalies:
| Goalie | Team | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ron Hextall | Flyers | Dec. 8, 1987 | Bruins |
| Ron Hextall (2) | Flyers | April 11, 1989 | Capitals |
| Chris Osgood | Red Wings | March 6, 1996 | Whalers |
| Martin Brodeur | Devils | April 17, 1997 | Canadiens |
| Jose Theodore | Canadiens | Jan. 2, 2001 | Islanders |
| Evgeni Nabokov | Sharks | March 10, 2002 | Canucks |
| Mike Smith | Coyotes | Oct. 19, 2013 | Red Wings |
| Pekka Rinne | Predators | Jan. 9, 2020 | Blackhawks |
| Linus Ullmark | Bruins | Feb. 25, 2023 | Canucks |
| Tristan Jarry | Penguins | Nov. 20, 2023 | Lightning |
| Filip Gustavsson | Wild | Oct. 15, 2024 | Blues |
Ron Hextall, the 1986-87 Vezina winner, became the first goalie to shoot the puck down the ice and score a goal, and he is the only goalie to accomplish the feat twice. The Flyers legend was known for his exceptional puck-handling ability despite his position.
Hextall’s second goal was the first to be scored by a goalie in the playoffs. It also marked the first time a goalie had scored while his team was shorthanded.
Huge game vs the Capitals tonight. Let’s throw it back to the 1989 playoffs:
Ron Hextall seals the win vs the Capitals with the first ever goalie goal in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/FemhGw2uSp
— Coots (@YaBoyCoots) March 4, 2020
Brodeur technically has three goals in his career, but only once has he shot the puck down the ice for a goal.
On Feb. 15, 2000, the Devils goaltender received credit for a game-winning goal when the Flyers’ Daymond Langkow scored into his own net with 9:43 remaining to give New Jersey a 3-1 lead. The Devils won the game 4-2. Brodeur also received credit for a goal against the Hurricanes on March 21, 2013, when Jordan Staal misfired on a pass that went toward an empty Carolina net after Dan Ellis had left his crease on a delayed penalty.
The first instance of an NHL goalie being credited with a goal occurred Nov. 28, 1979. The Islanders’ Billy Smith was the last to touch the puck before the Rockies’ Rob Ramage misfired on a pass that went directly into an empty net on a delayed penalty. The Rockies won the game, and to this day, Smith is still the only goalie with a goal in a losing effort.
Read the full article here