BUFFALO, N.Y. — Trevor Zegras skated down the Buffalo Sabres’ nett and secured power of the puck, surveying each that laic successful beforehand of him successful the opening minutes of the 2nd play connected Tuesday nighttime astatine KeyBank Center. In a flash, helium scooped up the puck successful mentation of attempting a lacrosse determination called “the Michigan.”
But what sorcery was this?
Zegras didn’t really sprout the puck.
Instead, helium flipped the puck implicit the backmost of the nett to teammate Sonny Milano, who was stationed adjacent the close extremity post. Milano batted it retired of midair and into the backmost of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s nett for a extremity that lit up societal media astir the hockey satellite successful specified minutes.
The extremity propelled the Ducks to a 2-0 victory, enlivening what was different a ho-hum crippled played successful beforehand of a sparse crowd. Sabres fans fto retired a corporate “whoa” erstwhile the extremity was replayed connected the arena’s scoreboard, knowing they had witnessed thing special.
Zegras, a 20-year-old rookie center, has made audacious plays his specialty during his little NHL career. His lob walk to Milano was 1 of his increasing postulation of OMG moments, 1 that had to beryllium reviewed to guarantee the puck wasn’t batted into the nett with a precocious stick.
Milano embraced Zegras aft his extremity gave the Ducks a 1-0 pb 5:14 into the 2nd period. Zegras enactment his hands to his caput arsenic if to say, “What person I done?” After the reappraisal upheld Milano’s eighth extremity of the season, helium and Zegras celebrated similar a mates of kids connected the bench.
The Ducks failed to pad their pb and took a one-goal vantage into the 3rd play portion playing for the 2nd consecutive nighttime connected their five-game trip. They mislaid to the Washington Capitals connected Monday successful a shootout successful which Milano had a extremity and an assistance and Zegras had 2 assists.
Would 1 goal, albeit a spectacular one, beryllium capable for the Ducks to decision the Sabres? Would goaltender Anthony Stolarz blank the Sabres the remainder of the way? Those were questions for the 3rd period. The play of the crippled had been settled beyond each uncertainty successful the second.
Sam Carrick provided an security extremity with a deflection of Josh Manson’s perimeter shot, giving the Ducks a 2-0 pb astatine 17:52 of the 3rd period. Stolarz made 25 saves for his 5th vocation shutout and his 2nd successful 7 appearances arsenic John Gibson’s backup.
More to travel connected this story.
HOW DID TREVOR ZEGRAS DO THAT!? 😱 pic.twitter.com/CqbZPLCJVx
— ESPN (@espn) December 8, 2021