Late in the first period of a scoreless game between the Oilers and Rangers, Kaapo Kakko finally scored his first NHL goal. The wonderful moment came when Ryan Strome was able to make a perfect backhand pass to put the 18-year old second pick in.
Edmonton goalie Mike Smith was the first victim. Kakko made a great move by going to a forehand, backhand deke to beat the veteran for the only goal of the first period.
The smile on Kakko’s face was great. You could feel the excitement as MSG went nuts. It was a beautiful finish by a young player, who’s sure to bring many more memorable moments to the New York Rangers.
Congrats to Kaapo on a magic moment he won’t ever forget.
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About Derek Felix
Derek Felix is sports blogger whose previous experience included separate stints at ESPN as a stat researcher for NHL and WNBA telecasts. The Staten Island native also interned for or hockey historian Stan Fischler and worked behind the scenes for MSG as a production assistant on New Jersey Devil telecasts.
An avid New York sports fan who enjoys covering events, writing, concerts, movies and the outdoors, Derek has covered consecutive Staten Island Yankees NY Penn League championships in '05 and '06. He also scored Berkeley Carroll high school basketball games from '06-14 and provided an outlet for the Park Slope school's student athletes. Hitting Back gives them the publicity they deserve.
In his free time, he also attends Ranger games and is a loyal St. John's alum with a sports management degree. The Battle Of Hudson administrator and chief editor can be followed below on Twitter and Facebook.
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Derek Felix
Battle Of Hudson 