The New York Rangers selected Alexis Lafrenière with the first overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, and that decision has already won them a game early into the 2020-2021 season.
The Rangers and Buffalo Sabres were tied 2-2 with just over two minutes remaining in overtime on Thursday night, when Lafrenière scored the game-winning goal. That’s a heck of a way for the 19-year-old top prospect to get his *first career* NHL goal.
No. 1️⃣ for No. 1️⃣.
No moment too big for the kid. pic.twitter.com/uwonYZHT4t
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 29, 2021
The stuff of legends. #PlayLikeANewYorker pic.twitter.com/sPrnIdxTSA
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 29, 2021
First NHL Goal for Alexis Lafrenière (@Alexlaff13) comes in OT‼️ pic.twitter.com/cfPYAb6Lc2
— NHL (@NHL) January 29, 2021
Lafrenière was a scoring machine while playing junior hockey in Quebec over the last few years, and was a member of Canada’s Gold Medal team at the World Junior Championships in 2020.
The 6’2″ left winger has averaged over 15 minutes of ice time so far in the NHL, and he capitalized on that opportunity in a big way on Thursday night. Expect his overall impact to get bigger and bigger as the season goes on.