The Montreal Canadiens broke an 83-year-old record by scoring two goals in two seconds in the team’s 6-4 win over the defending Stanley Cup Champions Washington on Thursday. The previous record was three seconds, held by the St. Louis Eagles on March 12, 1935 against the Detroit Red Wings. Frank Jerwa and Joe Lamb scored in three seconds.
It had been tied once by the same team since then, on January 21, 2004 by the Minnesota Wild. The Wild were playing the Chicago Blackhawks, and Minnesota’s Jim Dowd and Richard Park scored in succession.
The same time period has seen successive goals scored by each team. St. Louis and Boston each scored a goal a piece in three seconds, and the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins matched the feat on November 30, 2016.
First Goal Game Winner
Max Domi, son of former NHL player Tie Domi, broke a 4-4 tie with 22 seconds remaining in the third period. This after the Habs had scored the game-tying goal less than three minutes earlier.
Domi skated up the left side with the puck and let a wrist shot go just inside the circle. The puck glanced off of Capitals goalie Braden Holtby’s glove and into the net.
On the ensuing face off, Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom won the faceoff, but Canadiens forward Joel Armia stepped in front of Lars Eller and scored the empty-net goal.
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The victory gave Montreal a 7-3-2 record and tied them for second with Boston in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay is in first by a point, with an 8-3-1 record.
Montreal Surging
Before the season Montreal was a 100/1 pick to win the Stanley Cup, but their play a month later has moved the odds to 33/1. They are also a 30/1 pick to win the Eastern Conference.
One of the bright spots for the team is Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The 18-year-old Finnish rookie scored his first two career goals in the game against the Capitals.
“It was a special moment to share that with the fans,” Kotkaniemi said. “That’s the best thing I can get. It was pretty fun. That was pretty crazy. I’ve never heard a crowd like that.”
Domi said the team knew he was talented, and it is nice to see him get his first NHL goal.
“To see (Kotkaniemi) light it up twice was pretty special,” Domi said. “He deserves it and I can’t wait to see what the future is for him now. He’s been unbelievable since the start of the year. He’s a special player and he’s going to be really good player for a long, long time in this league and for this team.”
