The 12th minute of the match was running and Rakell received a solid pass to the top of the circle after the ball in the offensive zone while it was still scoreless. However, the shot without preparation did not suit him at all and the puck was aimed high above into the Plexiglas. From there, after the rebound, he fell on goalkeeper and fellow countryman Samuel Ersson and then rolled into the goal.
“At first I was very angry with myself for shooting two meters over. When I saw that the puck ended up in the goal, I was shocked. Of course, I won’t lie to anyone that it was intentional. The shot was too bad for that. But I also take a goal like that every day,” commented the Pittsburgh forward with amusement in an interview with the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.
“I don’t know what to say to that. How can you predict something like this? But it will happen, well,” said Ersson’s curious conceded goal.
A few minutes later, Rakell scored again on the power play after a smart pass from Evgeni Malkin. He was named the first star after the match. Thanks to him, Pittsburgh holds the last place in the standings. However, he has a minimal lead over his competitors, and the Penguins will probably have a tough fight for the playoffs until the very end of the regular season.
“This was probably just a setup for the drama ahead,” Rakell realized after his big night.