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Goal of the night: Ilya Kovalchuk scores without putting it in the net

Travis Zajac; Ilya Kovalchuk;Vladimir Zharkov; Andy Greene; Henrik Tallinder;

New Jersey Devils’ Ilya Kovalchuk (17) is congratulated by teammates, Travis Zajac (19), Vladimir Zharkov (18), Henrik Tallinder, top, and Andy Greene, left, after scoring against the Montreal Canadiens during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Montreal, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

AP

Aside from the occasional night off – or the even less common instance when a save or goal isn’t deemed worthy – the gang at PHT will decide which tally or stop is the best of any given night. Once those two winners are determined, we’ll share our reasoning (and most importantly, the video clip for each) in posts for your viewing pleasure.

Ilya Kovalchuk and the Devils have had a down year, but that still doesn’t mean that he’s going to stop trying to score goals, especially with an empty net involved. Being able to score on an empty net without putting it in the goal, though, is a new trick.

With the Devils ahead 3-1 in the closing moments of the game and Carey Price on the bench for an extra attacker, Kovalchuk streaked down the ice towards the empty cage looking to put the final goal home. Kovalchuk crossed the blue line and was hooked down by P.K. Subban while getting the shot away on net. The puck hit the post but Kovalchuk was awarded the goal for Subban’s interference on the play. It’s within the referees powers to do that and for Kovalchuk it was his second of the game and 17th of the season.
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