Which was better: the scoop or the score?
Friday night in Washington, Flames' center Mikael Backlund gave NHL fans an early favorite for 2019's goal of the year.
The 29-year-old from Sweden created space for himself as the puck flipped over the heads of three Capitals. He then finished the play with a sneaky one-handed tuck around goaltender Braden Holtby.
With the goal, Backlund now has a three-game goal-scoring streak which is the longest of his career since five games Dec. 23, 2016-Jan. 24, 2017. He now has 13 goals on the season to go with 17 assists.