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Matvei Michkov scores first NHL goal in weird way

© Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Every kid growing up dreams of scoring their first NHL goal. It is typically rushing down the wing, battling through traffic or dangling through opponents, and then hitting a rocket or sniping the puck right over the opposing goaltender’s shoulder.

Matvei Michkov might have been doing that every year of his life, but in reality, it came in the grimiest and weirdest way possible.

During the first period of the third game of his career, in Edmonton against the Oilers, the Flyers were on the power play due to a Too Many Men minor penalty, what appeared to be a nonchalant entry into the zone and Owen Tippett gliding through the shorthanded unit, ended with a bang. Michkov was sent the puck along the side of the net, and he just jammed and jammed and jammed against Stuart Skinner and the puck just crept its way across the goal line.

It is a historic occasion. Michkov knew right away, but we were still halted mid-celebration as the play was under review. It became so much clearer that the puck did actually cross the line. Of course, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch went ahead to challenge the play for goaltender interference — to make our beloved Russian phenom wait even longer for his first career goal — but it was found to be a good goal.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the prettiest thing to ever exist on a hockey rink. While other stars across the league were able to net some game-winning tallies as their first ever career goals, or score after a monumental move; Michkov scored maybe in the perfect Philadelphian way. Just grinding and being unrelenting in his force to try and make something happen out of nothing. He wasn’t given the best opportunity but he made the most out of it, and he took advantage of Skinner not being able to fully cover his net and just forcefully pushed that puck over the line.

No matter how “ugly” it is, it’s beautiful in our eyes. Michkov has his first and it is in his own way.

And just minutes later, he made sure that the night he got his first NHL goal wasn’t known for that push-in goal.

On another power play, Travis Konecny had the puck along the halfwall, made a quick cross-ice pass to Morgan Frost on the point, and the centerman eyed a sliding Michkov below the faceoff dot, on his right side, and the 19-year-old hit a one-timer that was so beautiful we might not be able to finish writing this paragraph without bursting in tears.

God, imagine what it must feel like to get your first goal, but it wasn’t what you thought of; and then moments later have the opportunity to absolutely rip one and score two goals in the first 10 minutes of a game. He is making the Oilers experiencing hell and we are here for it.

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