Legendary goalie Ron Hextall Makes History Today 27 Years Ago
Photo credit: Courier Post
37 years ago today, Ron Hextall did the unthinkable when he won the game for the Philadelphia Flyers, with a goalie goal ending the game 5-2.
The goal was scored while the Boston Bruins inadvisably left the net empty giving Hextall a shot.
The Bruins thought putting an extra attacker on the ice after they had given up two goals to Peter Zezel, and Brian Propp.
Hextall would bury the goal in the net, and the goalie would sublimely shake his head in disbelief as the puck went in the net.
He gained possesion of a loose puck and shot it high into the air towards the Bruins' net. The puck came down near the Boston blueline and rolled into the vacant net, just inside the left post.
It was a perfect opportunity for me with us being up two goals at the time", he said. "I looked up and saw the open ice."
"I was hoping to get the puck close. I shot it and saw it roll in. It was a great feeling."
It was a perfect opportunity for me with us being up two goals at the time", he said. "I looked up and saw the open ice."
"I was hoping to get the puck close. I shot it and saw it roll in. It was a great feeling."
It took 40,219 NHL games before Ron Hextall would accomplish the unthinkable in the best hockey league in the world.
Prior to Hextall's 1987 goal, the only other NHL goalie to be credited with a goal was in 1979 by Bobby Smith of the New York Islanders.
While Smith didn't shoot the puck, or have possession of the puck the NHL must've felt generous.
Colorado Rockies defenseman Rob Ramage passed the puck into his own net with his goaltender on the bench. Smith got the goal because he was the last Islander to touch the puck.
While Hextall's career was absent a Stanley Cup, he never ceased to bring spectacle to the game. Whether it be by fighting(Felix Potvin, 1996) or shooting the puck.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 8 | 90 ANSWERS Legendary goalie Ron Hextall Makes History Today 27 Years Ago Should Goalie Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers be remembered for his goalie goal, or his fight with Felix Potvin? | ||
| Goalie Goal | 57 | 63.3 % |
| Fight with Potvin | 33 | 36.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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