Penguins have no problems with 'lacrosse goals'

Even if you’re fairly keyed into hockey, the name probably escapes you.

But you probably know who he is.

The guy from Michigan who scored that goal.

On March 24, 1996, in an NCAA West regional semifinal game between Michigan and Minnesota, Michigan’s Mike Legg picked the puck up with the curve of his stick and tucked it into the cage from nearly behind the net.

To be clear, Legg didn’t invent this goal. A minor leaguer named Bill Armstrong had been doing it throughout the 1990s. But Legg was the first to do it on a fairly big stage.

Regardless, not many people know the name, just the goal.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson knows the person.

“I know Mike real well,” said Johnson, himself a Michigan player in the mid-2000s. “He used to work at a hockey school in Michigan (state) while he was at Michigan (the school), I was a little kid. I got to know him real well. I used to go play pickup hockey with him. I saw him do it before he ever did it in a game. I was probably eight, nine, 10 years old and I’d watch him do it in a hockey school. He could do it anytime, anywhere.

“I was actually at that Michigan-Minnesota game. He did it. Not a lot of people in the building knew what happened, but I knew exactly what he did. Saw him do it 100 times.”

No one is trying those types of goals often, but this season, it’s become a bit more en vogue to try what it called “the lacrosse goal.”

This season, Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov has two lacrosse goals, and Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg also has scored with a similar tactic.

There’s no hard data on how many of these types of shots are being taken, but on an anecdotal basis, they appear to have become tad more common.

“I see a lot of guys trying it,” Penguins goaltender Matt Murray said. “Svechnikov obviously did it, twice. Forsberg did it. He’s a righty. It tends to be lefties when you see it. Forsberg, he did a little differently though. He flipped it up.

“Guys are getting more and more confident. I saw (Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin) try something (recently) where he flipped it over the net and tried something like that. So guys are trying new things. So you’ve got to be on your toes for sure.”

Said Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry: “It’s just a trend. You see lots of trends where people try different things. Lots of people are able to do that. You see how many times guys on the team are just fooling around, they pick it up like that. So I think it’s just a trend that’s happening right now.”

The NHL of 2020 is a fertile environment to try this move given that virtually every team has fairly skilled players on all four lines.

“It’s a cool move if you can pull it off,” Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz said. “It’s pretty tough to stop. Obviously, I won’t be trying to pull it off, but I like it. It shows off the skill in today’s game.”

Another thing that has changed is the league’s attitude towards the showmanship inherent in a goal like this.

“The only thing I know is if we tried that 10 years ago when I started, you would get your arm chopped off, by the goalie or the defenseman,” Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. “I guess the league has changed. Everything is changing. Guys are able to make those types of plays in full motion in full speed.”

Penguins forward Sidney Crosby said, “If someone tried that before, then someone might be chasing you around a little bit. That’s probably not the same as far as that’s concerned. Guys have had success doing it. Other guys see that and try the same thing.”

Crosby is no stranger to the tactic. He scored a lacrosse goal in 2003 as a junior player with Rimouski Oceanic.

Would he ever dare to try it in the NHL?

“I did it before,” Crosby said. “We’ll see. I’m not opposed to doing it. If there’s an opportunity to do it, great. It’s been (17) years since I scored like that. So maybe I can see if I can still do it at some point.”

Is there a by-the-book way of stopping an improvisational play like that?

“Slash their stick out of their hands,” Schultz said. “Or take that far post away. It’s tough. You want to take that passing lane on that other side. It’s a tough play to defend.”

Said Murray: “I don’t know if anybody has mastered the technique of that one yet. I have no idea. You just try to get to your post as quick as you can, I think, because it’ll always be short side most likely.”

In a media environment where viral moments are consumed voraciously, “lacrosse goals” appear to be welcomed by NHLers, at least those in the Penguins’ dressing room.

“As a fan, I like it,” Murray said. “It’s got that ‘wow’ factor. It’s cool, it’s different. As a goalie, it’s just another thing you have to be aware of. Shooters are constantly evolving. It’s just another way guys are trying to score. It’s something you’ve got to be aware of.”

“I think creativity is great. That’s what the NHL wants. That’s what fans want,” Johnson said. “They’re always trying to find ways to have guys score more goals. I don’t have a problem with it. I don’t have a problem with creativity and fun.”

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