BUFFALO — Alex Nedeljkovic recalls looking up to the way Marty Turco and Martin Brodeur controlled the puck when he was a kid.
On Friday night, he achieved something neither of them – or any other netminder – had ever managed.
Nedeljkovic became the first goalie in NHL history to have both a goal and an assist in a single game as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-2.
“Playing hockey has always been a thrill for me,” he said. “I grew up watching some of the best players, like Marty Turco, Marty Brodeur, and they’re two guys that I really looked up to, in terms of their puck handling skills. It's been a part of my game since I was a kid.
“He started with chats with my dad in the car. He'd say things like, 'Don't just slap the puck against the boards whenever you get it. Think about making a smart play with it, pass it to your teammates instead. If you do something, do it right, or not at all.' It's an exciting time right now."
With 40 saves as well, Nedeljkovic also had a secondary assist on Glass' goal with 8:17 remaining in the second period, giving the Penguins a 3-1 advantage. His goal came with 2:42 left after the Sabres pulled goalie Luukkonen from the net in a last-ditch effort. He picked up the puck behind his own net, launched a shot from the goal line, and scored from about 180 feet away to finish off the scoring.
“He was right there, pretty much a long shot, I'd say, ” Penguins forward Bryan Rust said. “I was thinking, 'He's about to tie it. We're ahead by two. I'm guessing you would likely shoot it.' So, I just stood still for a couple of seconds. You saw him head for the bench and the whole team rushed him. That was kind of cool.”
Nick Nedeljkovic made history by becoming the first goaltender to score a goal in the ECHL, AHL, and NHL.
The objective was the 19th score achieved by a goaltender in NHL history and Nedeljkovic became the 16th goaltender to accomplish this goal. He's the second Penguins goaltender to score after Tristan Jarry, who was sent to the AHL on Thursday, was the first to do it on November 30, 2023.
'It was great," said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. "The guys were joking with him. They said all he was missing was a fight for the Gordie Howe hat trick.
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