Heading into Monday's action against Buffalo, Hurricanes winger Patrick Dwyer had scored 41 goals in 412 career NHL regular-season games. But his fifth goal of the current campaign – in which he deftly stickhandled past two Sabres defenders before roofing a backhand goal past Anders Lindback – may well be the prettiest one he ever scores.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Patrick Dwyer don't have a lot left to look forward to this season, but the Canes and the veteran right winger received a boost of confidence Monday night when he craftily stickhandled around a pair of Sabres defenders and scored a beautiful backhanded goal on Buffalo's Anders Lindback.
The Canes were down 4-0 in Buffalo late in the second frame when Dwyer – who had scored only four goals and 11 points in 67 games heading into Monday's action – picked up the puck along the boards in the Sabres' zone, danced between two Buffalo players, then roofed a backhander over Lindback's right shoulder:
In 413 career regular-season NHL games over the past seven seasons, Dwyer has scored 42 times, and it's unlikely he'll ever score a more eye-popping one than that.