ST. LOUIS (AP) — Minnesota Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson saw an opportunity and he cashed in.
Gustavsson capped the Wild’s 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues with the rare goalie goal. The 26-year-old gloved a Pavel Buchnevich shot from the blue line, dropped it to his stick and lifted a shot high into the air that stayed true and slid into an empty net with 8.1 seconds left.
“They probably try and make me get a whistle and get a face off in our zone, and they just put it straight in the glove and I try and put it down as quick as I could,” Gustavsson said. “It just laid perfect there on the ice, and I just try and shoot as hard as I could.”
It was Gustavsson’s first goal on any level and the first ever goalie goal in Wild franchise history.
Gustavsson was thinking about trying it after talking to teammate and fellow goalie Marc-Andre Fleury during a Blues timeout with 34 seconds left.
“Flower looked up at the board and he’s like, ‘Yeah, we’re up two goals, you should probably try it. If you get the chance, you’re shooting right?’” Gustavsson said. “I was like, yeah, maybe I should.”
Gustavsson is the 15th goalie to score a goal in NHL history and the first since Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry on Nov. 20, 2023, against Tampa Bay. It was also just the third power-play goal by a goalie following San Jose’s Evgeni Nabokov (March 10, 2002) and New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur (March 21, 2013).
Wild coach John Hynes witnessed Nashville’s Pekka Rinne score a goalie goal against Chicago on Jan. 9, 2020, when he was the head coach of the Predators.
“It was almost very similar to Gus, like, it was kind of six-on-five situation, kind of dumped in on the goalie, and he had time to be able to do it,” Hynes said. “Both guys, you could tell they were going for it. So great to see.”
Gustavsson celebrated in style with a flyby of the Wild bench.
“It was unbelievable,” Wild center Jakub Lauko said. “It was amazing. It would be nicer if we’d been at home with, like, a full barn. But, you know, it’s an incredible moment. I’m just happy for him.”
Gustavsson, who made 27 saves against the Blues, has had a strong start to the season improving to 2-0-1. He has stopped 91 of 96 shots he has faced for a .948 save percentage.
He has given a big boost to Minnesota, which is dealing with several key injuries while having just played the second in a season-long seven game road trip.
“I don’t think I do anything special right now,” Gustavsson said. “I don’t be any flashy. Obviously, I make some bigger saves, but that’s usually when you’re out of position. I just try to be in the right position most of the time and make boring saves. And I think that’s been working very good so far.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Filip Gustavsson scores on the power play, becoming the first Wild goalie to score
Filip Gustavsson scores on the power play, becoming the first Wild goalie to score
Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) defends against St. Louis Blues' Jake Neighbours (63) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, October 15, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored his fourth goal of the season, and the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 in their hurricane-delayed home opener on Tuesday night.
Kucherov had a hat trick the last time the Lightning took the ice, and he was the one to open the scoring against the Canucks off a feed from Darren Raddysh 3:55 into the game.
The Lightning were scheduled to open the home season Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, but the game was postponed due to the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel each had a goal and an assist in the win, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 26 saves in net.
Conor Garland scored Vancouver's only goal on a power play in the third period. Arturs Silovs stopped 24 shots for the Canucks.
Canucks: Vancouver is 0-1-2 after winning 50 games last season. The offense has eight goals, including five in the first period, through three games.
Lightning: After spending most of last week in Raleigh, North Carolina, due to Hurricane Milton, some players and staff, including coach Jon Cooper, are staying in hotels due to ongoing power outages. The off-ice situation has not affected their performance in games.
After Tampa Bay failed to make it 3-0 during a late second-period power play, Vasilevskiy made strong saves on Tyler Myers and Brock Boeser. Garland also put a shot off the post during that stretch.
Kucherov had a point on all of the Lightning's first five goals to start the season. Only Connor McDavid (nine, 2018-19), Adam Oates (seven, 1986-87), Andre Boudrias (six, 1973-74), Bill Cowley (six, 1938-39) and Aurele Joliat (six, 1929-30) have longer streaks.
The Lightning remain at home Thursday night to face the Golden Knights. Vancouver plays Florida on the road on Thursday night.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) works around Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) and goaltender Arturs Silovs (31) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks with right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) and center Jake Guentzel (59) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers (57) ties up the puck in front of Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Nicholas Paul (20) and left wing Brandon Hagel (38) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel (38) takes down Vancouver Canucks left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Conor Sheary (73) hooks Vancouver Canucks left wing Nils Hoglander (21) for a penalty during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs (31) stops a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) as center Jake Guentzel (59) and defenseman Carson Soucy (7) look for a rebound during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs (31) stops a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. Vancouver Canucks' Carson Soucy (7) keeps Tampa Bay Lightning's Jake Guentzel from a rebound. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) celebrates with the bench after his goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (40) moves the puck around Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman carries a "Tampa Strong" flag in honor of the victims of Hurricane Milton before an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
