San Jose Sharks left winger William Eklund delivered a jaw-dropping highlight-reel goal during a 4-2 road victory over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Friday night.
In the third period, with the Sharks holding a commanding lead, Eklund received a stretch pass, danced around a defender, and cut toward the net.
His initial shot was stopped by Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, but as Eklund tumbled backward to the ice, he somehow batted the loose puck out of midair with incredible hand-eye coordination, sending it bar down for an unforgettable finish that padded the score to 4-0.
“I tried to get around him. It was late in the shift, too; it bounced up in the air, and I just tried to get some of the stick on it. It was nice,” Eklund told NBC Sports. “I don’t know. It was just nice to get a goal, to be honest.”
The acrobatic tally, which drew comparisons to Bobby Orr’s iconic flying goal, snapped Eklund’s scoring drought and showcased his persistence despite playing through a lower-body injury.
Coach Ryan Warsofsky praised it as one of the nicest goals he’s seen, destined for long-lasting highlight reels.
“A little bit of [Bobby Orr],” Warsofsky said, via NHL.com. “That’s a goal that you’ll see on highlight reels for a long, long time. That’s one of the nicest goals that I’ve seen.”
Social media erupted, with the NHL and ESPN calling it unbelievable and a must-see, positioning it as a strong goal-of-the-season candidate.
