Sneaky Svechnikov

Andrei Svechnikov is a talented kid. The 19 year-old as the second-overall pick at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, and he's showing that he's a solid NHL player with his statistics over the last two seasons. That being said, the kid also has quite a bag of tricks he can dip into when needed, and he routinely shows off his speed, his hands, and his vision in virtually every game. One of the other tricks he has in that bag is shown in the lede photo as he's been working on the lacrosse-style goal that he successfully pulled off against the Calgary Flames on October 29 this year.

When asked about the move in late October, Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said that he watches Svechnikov practice the move at Hurricanes practices. It's pretty clear that the young Russian sniper has been working on his delivery in terms of disguising the move a little better because Svechnikov pulled off the feat once more tonight.

As you heard on the broadcast, Svechnikov has now pulled off this feat in both the US and in Canada, and it seems that his victims are only Canadian teams. Honestly, that lacrosse-like move that he seems to possess will likely be seen more and more as players look for more and more creative ways to score, so good on Svechnikov for practicing something that had never worked in the NHL prior to his October 29 goal against the Flames. And now he has two lacrosse-esque goals.

While I'm not suggesting that Svechnikov is targeting Canadian teams exclusively, both Calgary and Winnipeg have been victimized. If I'm the Toronto Maple Leafs who play the Hurricanes on Monday, I'd be very aware that Svechnikov has this tool in his toolbox. Of course, he may wait until a bigger day, and that would put the focus on the Montreal Canadiens on New Year's Eve as his last chance to victimize three Canadian years before the calendar flips to 2020.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice! Or don't if you're name is Svechnikov.