Goaltender Linus Ullmark is helping the Boston Bruins maintain a record pace with his stellar play at the net.
This All-Star has added a rare goalie goal to his long NHL resume. Ullmark scored the NHL’s first goalie goal since Nashville Predators Pekka Rinne in 2020 as the Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 last Saturday night.
The Vezina Trophy favored front-runner stopped a rolling puck just before the faceoff circle. Then he wristed a shot toward the empty Vancouver net. The Swedish goaltender’s shot landed between the Canucks faceoff circles and bounced in at 19:12 of the third period. It gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead.
He became mobbed by Bruins players, then skated to the Boston bench for a goal scorer’s traditional fist bump with his fellow teammates.
Only 13 goaltenders have been credited with a goal (16 total times) in NHL history. Ullmark is the eighth to shoot the puck into the net (Ron Hextall did it twice) and the first Bruins goalie ever to score. The others were credited when the goaltender was the last player to touch the puck before the opponent scored an own goal.
Ullmark told USA Today, “It’s hard to describe what I’m feeling right now. I have to kind of digest it all, but I’m just so bloody happy.”
Ullmark also did well in his traditional role Saturday night. He stopped 26 of 27 shots for his 30-win of the season. He has a 1.86 goals-against average and .938 save percentage on the season.
The Boston Bruins have 45 wins in 58 games. They are on pace to break the NHL record of 62 wins in a single season. Expect to see them run deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs. They are favored to do damage come April.