Nedeljkovic makes history with goal, assist

Alex Nedeljkovic became the second goaltender in Pittsburgh Penguins history to score a goal during a 5-2 victory against the host Buffalo Sabres on Friday at Key-Bank Center.

His score came on an empty net at 17 minutes, 18 seconds of the third period. And with an assist on the winning goal, Nedeljkovic became the first goaltender in NHL history to record a goal and an assist in the same contest.

“Anytime we have a lead like like, a two- or three-goal lead, I was thinking about it,” Nedeljkovic told the Sports-Net Pittsburgh postgame show. “I might have been thinking a little too much about it when they pulled him at first with five minutes left, but I settled down after that. The guys did a good job of clearing out the middle, all going to the right spots.

“I wasn’t too sure it was going to make it out of the zone, let alone go all the way down, so this is pretty exciting.”

Oddly enough, his score came one day after the team assigned the first goaltender to achieve the feat, Tristan Jarry, to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League after he cleared waivers.

Jarry’s goal came during a 4-2 road win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 30, 2023.

Nedeljkovic, 29, has previously scored goals at the AHL and ECHL levels.

As for his primary duties, he unofficially made 40 saves on 42 shots and boosted his record to 7-7-4.

The Penguins got the desired result despite the absence of All-Star defenseman Kris Letang, who was scratched with an illness according to one of the team’s social media accounts.

Sabres defenseman Owen Power opened the scoring with his sixth goal of the season during a power-play opportunity 15:16 into regulation.

Accepting a pass at the left point of the offensive zone, Power backpedaled to the high slot, advanced toward the hashmarks and released a wrister that clunked off the right post and beat Nedeljkovic’s glove. Forward Zach Benson and defenseman Bowen Byram had assists.

The Penguins tied the score on the power play as forward Rickard Rakell registered his team-best 23rd goal 101 seconds into the second period.

From the right point of Buffalo’s zone, Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk fed a forehand pass to the lower- right circle for Penguins forward Bryan Rust, who one-touched the puck to the upper portions of the circle, allowing Rakell to lean on his right knee and rip a one-timer to the far side, beating goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s blocker. Penguins forward Michael Bunting supplied a screen on the sequence. Rust and Grzelcyk generated assists.

Penguins forward Anthony Beauvillier’s 10th goal supplied the visitors their first lead only 27 seconds later.

Curling behind from his own net, Penguins forward Cody Glass fired a stretch pass from the left circle to the far blue line. Beauvillier took in the puck, fended off Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju and attacked the cage. Upon arrival, Beauvillier fired a wrister under Luukkonen’s glove. The only assist went to Glass.

Glass’ second goal of the season came during a power- play sequence at 11:43 of the second frame.

Lugging the puck up ice from his own zone, Penguins forward Philip Tomasino gained the offensive blue line on the right wing, veered past Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson in the right circle then slipped a clever pass to the lower-right hashmark, where an onrushing Glass swiped a one-timer by Luukkonen’s blocker. Tomasino and Nedeljkovic tallied assists. It was the first point recorded by a Penguins goaltender this season.

Penguins forward Bryan Rust got in on the act by scoring his 18th goal 69 seconds into the third period while on the power play.

Keeping a puck in the offensive zone at the right point, Grzelcyk flicked a difficult backhand pass to the upper left circle. With an acre of ice and a calendar of time to pick his shot, Rust opted for a far-side wrister beyond the grasp of Luukkonen’s glove. Assists belonged to Grzelcyk and Bunting.

Benson’s eighth goal came at 14:46 of the third frame with Luukkonen pulled for an extra attacker. Forwards Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch had assists.

Note: Penguins forward Matt Nieto and defenseman Ryan Shea were healthy scratches.