Richard Panik gets primary assist from inside goal (Video)
Richard Panik scored the assist of the year by notching one despite ending up in the back of the net.
The Chicago Blackhawks rely heavily on Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. For this reason, they also rely on their cheap forwards to be productive. Last season saw the rise of Artemi Panarin. The 2016-17 NHL season has been all about Richard Panik, who has a career-high 22 goals and 42 points. During Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, he added his 43rd point of the season off a very weird play.
Panik drives to the net just as Brent Seabrook shoots the puck. The initial shot gets past Bruins goaltender Anton Khudobin, but the forward inadvertently blocks the shot with his shoulder. It causes him to fall into the goal and puts him in a very vulnerable position. Panik nearly costs Artemi Panarin a goal, but the refs ruled his initial shot, despite hitting him, still crossed the goal line.
Maybe he took the phrase “crash the net” a bit too literally. Luckily, Panik somehow didn’t get hurt during this play. He could have been hurt during no fewer than three instances. Somehow, Panik doesn’t injure his shoulder with Seabrook’s slap shot, doesn’t get injured colliding with the goal and doesn’t even get hurt when Panarin hits him with his goal.
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He’s having a career year for the Blackhawks, who have already clinched the top spot in the Western Conference. Panik’s doing this despite getting just under 15 minutes of ice time a night. Guys like him coming through at a cheap price are why the Blackhawks remain one of the best teams in the NHL. Panik’s quickly becoming a staple on Chicago’s power play and has even been getting playing time alongside Jonathan Toews as of late. He’s certainly earned it.