What Happened Last Night

I find it pretty crazy to think that just last evening we were piling on Pekka Rinne's horrific save percentage while killing penalties on The Hockey Show only to have him take center-stage tonight for a feat rarely seen in the NHL. If you anything about this blog, it's that I happen to a major fan of goalie goals, and there hasn't been one in a long time at the NHL level. In fact, October 19, 2013 was the last time we saw a goalie goal in the NHL when then-Phoenix Coyote Mike Smith found the back of the open net against Detroit. Last night, though, Pekka Rinne added his name to the list of goalies who have scored in the NHL.

With the Predators leading 4-2 over the Chicago Blackhawks last night, the Blackhawks pulled their goalie to see if they could tie the game. That's when Pekka Rinne sprung into action.

Rinne's first career goal will go down in the history books as January 9, 2013 at 19:38 of the third period on Nashville's 30th shot of the game. He joins 11 other armoured men to have sent a 200-foot shot down the ice into the yawning cage, and, more importantly, helped the Nashville Predators end their losing skid while getting John Hynes his first win as the head coach of Nashville Predators. He's also the second-oldest goalie to score in a game, trailing only Martin Brodeur in that statistical category.

It seemed the NHL had a little fun with Rinne's goal as well as they published this tweet on their public relations account.

Pekka Rinne (37 years, 67 days) became the 5th-oldest player (skater or goalie) to score his first career regular-season goal and the oldest since Helmut Balderis (37 years, 94 days) in 1989-90 w/ MNS. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/mKkVrcrlQN

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 10, 2020

The list of goalies who have scored a goal in the NHL grows by one. The twelve men who have scored are:

• Billy Smith (NYI) at Colorado Rockies - November 28, 1979
• Ron Hextall (PHI) vs Boston Bruins - December 8, 1987
• Ron Hextall (PHI) at Washington Capitals - April 11, 1989*¹
• Chris Osgood (DET) at Hartford Whalers - March 6, 1996
• Martin Brodeur (NJD) vs Montreal Canadiens - April 17, 1997*
• Damian Rhodes (OTT) vs New Jersey Devils - January 2, 1999
• Martin Brodeur (NJD) vs Philadelphia Flyers - February 15, 2000²
• Jose Theodore (MTL) at New York Islanders - January 2, 2001
• Evgeni Nabokov (SJS) at Vancouver Canucks - March 10, 2002³
• Mika Noronen (BUF) at Toronto Maple Leafs - February 14, 2004
• Chris Mason (NAS) vs Phoenix Coyotes - April 15, 2006
• Cam Ward (CAR) vs New Jersey Devils - December 26, 2011
• Martin Brodeur (NJD) at Carolina Hurricanes - March 21, 2013³
• Mike Smith (PHX) vs Detroit Red Wings - October 19, 2013
• Pekka Rinne (NAS) at Chicago Blackhawks - January 9, 2020
  NOTES: * denoted a playoff goal, ¹ denotes a shorthanded goal, ² denotes a game-winning goal, and ³ denotes a power-play goal.

In looking at these goals, it's hard to believe that of the Original Six teams only the New Rangers have yet to surrender a goalie goal. Brodeur, as shown, leads the NHL all-time with three goalie goals while Ron Hextall has two goals, and the Eastern Conference has surrendered eleven of the fifteen total goalie goals scored all-time.

Regardless of all these little nuances, it seems that Pekka Rinne has decided to help his team and himself by not only stopping pucks, but putting them into the opposition's net as well. I don't know if he'll tie Hextall or approach Brodeur's all-time record, but for a goalie who we identified on The Hockey Show last night as someone who needs to be better for Nashville to be better, this is a pretty unique way to help one's team earn wins.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!