We promise we aren’t going to highlight rookie Valeri Nichushkin’s every goal. Today just isn’t that day yet.
In today’s first period against the Winnipeg Jets Nichuskin scored his fifth goal of the season. And a beautiful goal it was, too:
This has all of the elements of a goal of the year candidate:
Puck possession? Check.
Walking around all five guys of the opposing team? Check, check, check, check, check.
Get the goaltender to bite hard on a shot they think you’re going to make? Check.
Slipping it in past the goaltender? Check.
We’ve seen Nichushkin make several attempts at a similar goal earlier this season. He was never ever really able to make it work before today. His successful attempt today reminded me of another Stars player — captain Jamie Benn, who made a similar goal happen against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The young Russian rookie seems to be finding a lot of confidence in his game recently, and this may just be his fifth goal of the season. The years we have to look forward to these kinds of efforts are going to be entertaining.