May 15 (UPI) — Mitch Marner scored one of the most ridiculous playoff goals in recent memory, sliding the puck between his own legs in a Vegas Golden Knights series-clinching victory.
Marner netted the inventive finish just 62 seconds into the 5-1 triumph over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of the second-round series Thursday in Anaheim, Calif. With the victory, the Golden Knights won the series 4-2 and advanced to the Western Conference final.
“I tried to do that move and, luckily enough, it worked out,” Marner told reporters.
Marner’s shot was the first attempt of the night. The Golden Knights netted three of their five goals in the first period. They were outshot 32-21, including 28-12 over the final two periods. Net minder Carter Hart made 31 saves in the win.
But fans didn’t have to wait long for the play of the night.
Defenseman Shea Theodore cleared the puck off the boards to forward William Karlsson from deep in Golden Knights territory less than a minute into the game. Karlsson sniped Marner with a long-distance pass between the blue lines.
Ducks defender Jackson LaCombe draped the Golden Knights forward as he skated between the circles, forcing him to turn his back to the goal. Marner kept the puck on his stick and flashed it right, forcing goalie Lukas Dostal to lean to that side. He then tapped the puck left and smacked it between his own legs, beating LaCombe on his glove side in the process.
Marner assisted fellow forward Brett Howden for a short-handed score 7:28 later. Theodore lit the lamp off a power play with 2:41 remaining in the period. Ducks forward Mikael Granlund scored off a power play 12:46 into the second period for Anaheim’s lone goal.
Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev scored the final two goals of the night in the third frame, sealing the series victory.
“It obviously feels great,” Marner said. “We worked extremely hard for all these little goals we set throughout the year. Another one acieived. Obviously the work keeps getting harder and harder. We gotta take these couple days, whatever we have, try to refuel and refresh and be ready to go.”
The top-seeded Golden Knights will take on the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of the Western Conference final at 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Denver.