“HE IS NOW 893 AWAY FROM TYING GRETZKY”: NHL fans react as Alex Nedeljkovic scores goalie goal in Penguins win

By ARJUN B

Modified Jan 18, 2025 04:30 GMT

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Hockey fans were abuzz after Alex Nedeljkovic scored a rare goalie goal in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

With the Penguins leading 4-2 late in the third period, the Sabres pulled their goalie in a desperate effort to tie the game. But the strategy backfired when Nedeljkovic fired the puck the length of the ice into the empty net, becoming just the second goalie in Penguins history to score a goal.

On social media, fans reacted with a mix of shock, celebration and humor.

"HE IS NOW 893 AWAY FROM TYING GRETZKY"

Another fan wrote:

"Ned is making history. Now let's get some wins and make the f**king playoffs!!!!"

Here are some fan reactions:

"WHAT A HOCKEY GAME BY NED AND THE PENGUINS!!! Ned taking his new job to heart and serious." one fan wrote.

"Jarry made last year. But Ned had a goal and a an assist today. I guess he is the first goalie to have this stats in same game." another fan wrote.

"Nedeljkovic and Jarry are the only goalies to have goals at both the ahl and nhl level both did it with Pens organization cool" a user commetned.

"SO many Penguin fans there and so happy for Ned and the Penguins. I loved that for Ned and the guys. Hopefully it feels like the TSN turning point of the season." another user wrote.

Nedeljkovic is the first goalie in NHL history to record a goal and an assist in the same game. Nedeljkovic made a secondary assist on Cody Glass' goal late in the second period, which put the Penguins up 3-1.

Nedeljkovic has scored at every level of pro hockey in North America - the ECHL, AHL (two times), and now NHL.

Alex Nedeljkovic makes history as 16th NHL goalie to score a goal

Alex Nedeljkovic etched his name in the NHL history books on Friday night, becoming the 16th goalie to score a goal in a game.

"It's a team game, and we're all really close in here. Everybody's rooting for each other to score... it's nice to receive some of that excitement on my end. Maybe I pushed it a little too far with jumping into the bench [laughs]. But it’s my first goal, what do you expect?" Nedeljkovic said post game.

Since the 2022-23 season, four different goalies have scored: Linus Ullmark, Tristan Jarry, Filip Gustavsson, and now Alex Nedeljkovic.