Make It Eleven

While he was once high on the Flames' depth chart, Reto Berra has been platooned with Semyon Varlamov in Colorado after having been traded to the Avalanche late last season. He has only appeared in ten games with the Avalanche this season before a collision with Ottawa's Kyle Turris put him in the injury bay. And like any injured player who has been off for an extended period of time, Berra was assigned to the AHL's Lake Erie Monsters for a conditioning assignment. Little did the Monsters know they were getting an offensive dynamo as well as a goaltender in this assignment.

Berra's first game of his conditioning assignment was tonight against the Chicago Wolves. Coincidentally, Berra's first goal also came tonight in the same game. With the Monsters leading 3-1 late in the game, Chicago opted to pull its goalie. This was the result.

Reto Berra becomes the eleventh AHL goaltender to be credited with a goal, and the seventh goaltender to actually shoot the puck the distance of the ice to score. The list of AHL netminders who scored is actually pretty recent when you consider the history of the league.

• Darcy Wakaluk, Rochester Americans - Dec. 5, 1987 at Utica
• Paul Cohen, Springfield Indians - Mar. 28, 1992 vs. Rochester
• Robb Stauber, Rochester Americans - Oct. 9, 1995 at Prince Edward Island
• Christian Bronsard, Syracuse Crunch - Oct. 30, 1999 at Rochester
• Jean-Francois Labbe, Hartford Wolf Pack - Feb. 5, 2000 at Quebec 
• Chris Mason, Milwaukee Admirals - Oct. 15, 2001 at Utah 
• Antero Niittymaki, Philadelphia Phantoms - Apr. 11, 2004 at Hershey
• Seamus Kotyk, Milwaukee Admirals - Apr. 17, 2005 at San Antonio
• Drew MacIntyre, Manitoba Moose - Feb. 20, 2008 at Chicago
• Chris Holt, Binghamton Senators - Mar. 19, 2010 vs. Rochester
• Reto Berra, Lake Erie Monsters - Jan. 16, 2015 at Chicago

The Rochester Americans should feel a little less self-conscious now. The Chicago Wolves have joined them as the only AHL team to have a goaltender score on them twice. Now that's exclusive company!

I love Berra's skating to the bench after the goal. That's just awesome. I seeing that, Berra deserves a congratulations on his goal!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!