The Los Angeles Kings are a good team. With a 20-10-2 record, they're basically the only competent team in the entire Pacific Division; they're also in fifth place league-wide. But it was the 29th place Toronto Maple Leafs who handed them their 10th loss of the season: and second shutout.
That's right, Jonathan Bernier won a game! An NHL game! He had to stop 26 shots to do it, too, so he very much earned it.
It's nice to see him smiling that awkward little smile. Good for him for getting it over his former team, too.
A bit more impressive than one's first win of the season, like, 12 games into it, though, is a very special moment in any hockey player's life: one's first ever NHL goal.
Byron Froese scored his first to make it a 5-0 game, putting the game even more hopelessly (and hilariously) (demoralizingly, really) out of reach for the Kings, and getting an awesome new souvenir to go along with it.
Byron Froese with the puck from his first NHL goal. #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/VSaXv4ijkz
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 20, 2015
Froese is a 24-year-old who has played only 25 NHL games, and was playing in the ECHL just last season. Now he has an NHL goal puck, and he really earned it, too. Perfect capper on a perfect night.
Congrats to both! May there still be many more to come.