New Jersey Devils forward Blake Coleman is off to a blazing start in the 2019-20 season.
The 27-year-old scored two goals Friday against the Winnipeg Jets in his team’s season opener. He capitalized on a loose puck in front of Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck for his first tally, but his second may prove to be an early candidate for one of the year’s best goals.
After scoring 1:42 into the second period, Coleman struck again after the midway mark of the frame when he split the Jets’ defense and got tangled up with defenseman Dmitry Kulikov approaching the net. The Plano, Texas, native appeared to hook his left arm around Kulikov’s right and tumbled toward the ice as he approached the puck.
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There was only one thing to do, so Coleman did it: he flicked his stick at the puck with just his right hand as he went down and sent the rubber disk right over Hellebuyck’s glove.
While not necessarily heralded as a goal scorer, Coleman has pulled off a similar move before. He scored a one-handed goal with that same right hand against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 23, 2018, also while fending off a defender.
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The Devils can rest easy Friday knowing they already have a highlight-reel goal under their belts in the young season, even if it sure looked a lot like a holding penalty.
Coleman’s two-goal game is a hot start for a player who set career-highs in scoring last season (22 goals, 14 assists).