Alexis Lafreniere has arrived.
New York Rangers’ forward Alexis Lafreniere scored a filthy goal against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. Lafreniere, the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, has already been labelled a “bust” by some hockey fans.
Lafreniere silenced his doubters with a two-goal game against Detroit on Saturday. His second goal of the afternoon is one that will be played on highlight reels for years to come.
With the Rangers leading 3-0 in the third period, Lafreniere took a pass and entered the Red Wings’ zone. Lafreniere dangled Red Wings’ forward Dylan Larkin with a between-the-legs move before scoring backhand on goalie Thomas Greiss.
Here are a couple looks at Lafreniere’s filthy goal:
The Rangers also shared an awesome video on social media showing the Lafreniere goal from ice level:
W🤯W pic.twitter.com/GX12QHGoiD
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 16, 2022
The best part about Lafreniere’s filthy goal vs Detroit was that it came after he was scratched the previous game. Lafreniere was scratched against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday due to teammate Filip Chytil returning from injury. Laffy responded to his scratch by scoring a highlight-reel goal. What a boss move.
Rangers coach Gerard Gallant even joked about the Lafreniere scratch after the game Saturday. A reporter sarcastically asked Gallant if he should scratch Lafreniere more in the future based on how he performed versus Detroit. “Good idea,” Gallant replied.
Lafreniere has had his fair share of struggles in the NHL, but he’s starting to come into his own. In 72 NHL games this season, Lafreniere has 15 goals and 25 points. The former first overall pick has been playing up-and-down the Rangers’ lineup, making it hard for him to find consistency.
Hopefully Lafreniere can build off this impressive goal versus Detroit and continue developing his game at the NHL level. The Red Wings certainly aren’t an NHL juggernaut by any means, but the skill Lafreniere showed Saturday is impressive regardless of opponent.