Unlikely Offence

The goalie to the left is Mikhail Berdin of the Sioux Falls Stampeders who play in the USHL. Berdin was a sixth-round selection at 157th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft, and the netminder from Ufa, Russia has played the last two seasons in Sioux Falls. His 14-12-3 record last season came with a 2.73 GAA and a .925 save percentage, but he's already upped his stats in his second season as Berdin sits with a 6-3-1 record, a 2.47 GAA, and a .933 save percentage. Tonight, though, he added a new statistic to his totals.

With Sioux Falls leading the Muskegon Lumberjacks 6-4 late in the third period, a puck was dumped in behind Berdin's net where the goaltender came out to play it. And then this happened.

When you're the goalie and you score a goal, you get all the celebrations out of the way.#GoalieGoal pic.twitter.com/riZFAAhcd1

— Sioux Falls Stampede (@sfstampede) November 19, 2017

Officially, Berdin scored his first goal at 16:36 of the third period in Sioux Falls 7-4 victory over Muskegon. It was also Berdin's first point of the season this year, and he celebrated like he just celebrated winning the Stanley Cup with the fist-pumps, the bench-long high-fives, and the wave to the crowd. Honestly, it's pretty cool to see a goalie goal, but even better to see a player enjoying himself on the ice. Well done, Mikhail!

What is perhaps the bigger story here is that Muskegon gave up five unanswered goals - including Berdin's goal - and coughed up a three-goal lead in being swept this weekend. With the losses this weekend, Muskegon finds themselves in ninth- and last-place in the USHL Eastern Conference with ten points. Sioux Falls improves to 17 points and sits in third-place in the Western Conference, but every team with the exception of the Fargo Force has games in-hand. In other words, this was a big win to try and keep pace with everyone for the Stampeders!

It's always fun to see goalies celebrating like crazy after scoring a goal. Congratulations to Mikhail Berdin on his first goal of the season in helping Sioux Falls earn the 7-4 win!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!