Eric Staal made unique NHL history on Saturday, scoring a short goal to open the scoring in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Staal’s goal marked only the third time in NHL history that the first goal of the Cup Finals came from a short-handled goal, the others coming in 1936 and 1997, each Hockey reference.
With the Vegas Golden Knights having the man advantage, William Karlsson’s cane broke in a shot attempt, sending the Panthers in the other direction. After receiving a sharp pass from Anton Lundell, Staal looped around the Vegas cage, placing the ball into a gaping net.
Fittingly, Staal’s history-making goal came in the 100th knockout of his career during the series season for the Panthers and himself.
Staal sidelined the entire 2021-22 season before returning to the NHL this year, putting the Panthers on trial. The 38-year-old has played 72 games in the regular season, scoring 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in that span. Going into Saturday, Staal had three points (one goal, two assists) from 16 games for the post-season period.
Counting his goals in Game 1, Staal now has 63 career points in 100 post-season games, scoring 24 goals and 38 assists. His short goal on Saturday was the first of his career in the Stanley Cup knockouts.
