Watch: Devils catch Leafs off guard with rare 3-on-5 goal
Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / Getty
Brian Gibbons scores a 3-on-5 shorthanded goal to put the Devils up 2! pic.twitter.com/p1ExIuQGTH
— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) October 12, 2017
Having a two-man advantage greatly increases the chance of scoring a goal, but it doesn't usually come from the shorthanded team.
That's what happened Wednesday night, however, when New Jersey Devils winger Brian Gibbons put home a rebound for a marker that would eventually hold up as the game-winner against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Just how rare was it?
Per #NHL website, #NJDevils had not scored a reg ssn 3-on-5 (or 3-on-6) goal since at least 1987-88 (first year stat is kept in database
— Eric Hornick (@ehornick) October 12, 2017
It was Gibbons' second goal in the first three games of the season, and it helped the Devils defeat the Leafs by a 6-3 margin.