Igor Shesterkin’s empty-net strike in the New York Rangers’ 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning brought a rare moment of goalie history back into focus — and Ron Hextall, the first NHL netminder to shoot the puck into the opposing net, enjoyed every second of it.
Shesterkin became the 12th goaltender to score by shooting the puck in an NHL game on Thursday. From his own crease, he played a rolling puck off the boards to his left and sent it nearly the full length of the ice into Tampa Bay’s vacant net. It was the Rangers’ final goal of the night.
Hextall said the celebration from the New York bench was what caught his eye most.
“I’m happy for guys when they do it,” Hextall said Friday. “The Rangers’ reaction was pretty cool for Shesterkin. It’s a neat thing and gives the highlight shows something special.”
A familiar bench reaction
Hextall made history on Dec. 8, 1987, when he scored into an empty Boston Bruins net for the Philadelphia Flyers. Nearly four decades later, he saw echoes of that night in the way Rangers players reacted to Shesterkin’s goal.
Several New York teammates came over the boards to celebrate their goaltender, much as Philadelphia’s skaters did for Hextall. He recalled Rick Tocchet and Scott Mellanby shouting after his goal and said the excitement around him made the moment more meaningful.
“It felt like everyone came off the bench,” Hextall said. “I knew it was significant, but I didn’t realize how big it was at the time. My teammates were so fired up — maybe more than I was — and that made it really special.”
Hextall’s goal came after he handled a Boston dump-in to his left, settled the puck and fired it down ice to finish a 5-2 Flyers victory. Shesterkin’s play followed a similar path, though his puck arrived off the boards before he launched it toward the empty cage.
Shesterkin gets the chance he wanted
Shesterkin had spoken during his eight NHL seasons about wanting to score, and Hextall understood that urge. The former Flyers, Quebec Nordiques and New York Islanders goalie said he always believed he could convert if the game situation gave him the proper opening.
“I don’t want it to sound arrogant, but I felt that if the chance was there, I could score,” Hextall said.
Still, Hextall did not force the issue. He said teammates encouraged him to shoot whenever an opponent pulled its goaltender, while Flyers fans often chanted for him to try. But he passed on chances when forecheckers were too close or when game circumstances made the risk unwise.
“It had to be the right opportunity,” he said.
Hextall remains the only goalie to score on a shot in both the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He added his postseason goal on April 11, 1989, putting the finishing touch on Philadelphia’s 8-5 road win over the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of the Patrick Division Semifinals.
Hextall sees a complete modern goalie
During later front-office stints as general manager of the Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins, Hextall watched plenty of Shesterkin and came away impressed by more than his puck handling.
He praised Shesterkin’s mobility, reads and confidence, describing the Rangers goalie as a player whose presence can lift the belief of the group in front of him. Hextall also pushed back on concerns some clubs have about a goalie of Shesterkin’s size; Shesterkin is listed at 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds.
“He has that confident swagger that teammates notice and believe in,” Hextall said. “He has ability, moves well, reads the game, handles the puck, and carries himself the way you want a goalie to carry himself.”
Shesterkin is the latest among 18 NHL goaltenders credited with 21 total goals — 19 in the regular season and two in the playoffs. Hextall expects the list to keep growing as young goalies receive more training with the puck.
“Players are much better taught now than they were in our era,” Hextall said. “That includes positioning, the butterfly and playing the puck.”
