William Eklund hasn’t played a game for the Senators yet, but one of his highlights from last season is still getting some attention.
Based on fan voting, the NHL just named Eklund’s spectacular goal against the Boston Bruins as its goal of the year.
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Playing for the San Jose Sharks at TD Garden, Eklund drove toward the Boston net, worked his way around Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke and got an initial shot on Jeremy Swayman.
Swayman made the save, but as Eklund was falling to the ice, he somehow located the rebound, and while pausing, in mid-air, mind you, he batted the puck past the Bruins goaltender.
The Senators were well represented in the voting, as Andre Burakovsky and Tim Stutzle also had goals that made the final six.
Burakovsky had a slick between-the-legs goal , the kind that Brady Tkachuk was always trying (and failing) to pull off. Stutzle had that memorable solo effort, splitting the Carolina defense, then making a sensational move at the net.
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But according to the fans, Eklund’s snipe was a cut above. For those who haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth a look.
The combination of puck skill, hand-eye coordination and body control immediately made it one of the season’s most memorable goals.
Now it’s been voted as the very best goal.
It came at 8:20 of the third period and helped San Jose to a 4-2 victory that night. Eklund also added an assist and was named the game’s second star.
The goal was even more notable from an individual standpoint because it snapped a lengthy personal drought for Eklund. It was his only goal during a 30-game stretch. He’d gone 19 games without a goal and went scoreless for 10 more after this.
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But by the end of the season, Eklund had put together another productive year, finishing with 15 goals and 53 points in 78 games.
Now he’ll try to produce some new highlights in Ottawa.
The Senators certainly aren’t expecting him to replace everything Tkachuk provided. He won’t battle physically the way Tkachuk did, but he defends better and brings superior speed.
And, as the NHL Goal of the Year voters can attest, he’s got some moments of serious creativity.Â
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the Sens headlines below:
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