Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic Makes Insane NHL Goalie History vs Sabres
Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The Penguins beat the Sabres 5-2 on Friday and Alex Nedeljkovic stole the show
  • Nedeljkovic made NHL history, becoming the first goalie ever to score and assist a goal in a game
  • Read below for the full story

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic did it all in Friday evening’s 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, going viral for something other than a black eye on the bench.

The 29-year-old became the first netminder in NHL history to score a goal and tally an assist in a game. Here’s a look at his empty netter in the third period.

Via SportsNet Pittsburgh:

You can see just how fired up the Penguins goaltender is. He also assisted a Cody Glass goal in the second period. This isn’t the first time Nedeljkovic has shown poise for the net, either.

He’s done it at every level leading up to the NHL:

What a night for Nedeljkovic, who also made 40 saves. Following the win, he reflected on the historic game, voicing he’s always taken pride in his puck-handling skills.

Via The Athletic:

“I’ve always enjoyed playing the puck,” Nedejlkovic said as teammates chanted his nickname “Ned!” repeatedly in the visitor’s dressing room.

“Growing up, I watched some of the best guys do it. Marty Turco, Marty Brodeur were two guys I watched a lot and learned a lot from in terms of puck handling. It’s been part of my game as long as I can remember. It started just from conversations with my dad in the car telling me, ‘Don’t just throw the puck around the boards. Every time you get it, try to make a smart play with it. Put it on guys’ tape. Don’t just do it if you’re going to do it. At least try to do something with it.’

“So from that now we’re a little more structured and making tape-to-tape passes with the D and getting good clears and stuff like that. It’s really exciting right now.”

The Penguins shot-stopper is the 16th goalie to ever score in the league and the second this season after Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild found the back of the net in October in a victory over the St. Louis Blues.

A game that Nedeljkovic will never forget.