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TOM JONESNever had he tried this seemingly improbable, between-the-legs shot.
MONTREAL - He never tried it before. Not in a real game. Not in an exhibition game. Not even as a little kid in his oversized Montreal Canadiens jersey back on the frozen pond growing up.
"Never," he said.
Why would he? It's a move so outrageous, a play so challenging that even trying it seems foolish.
But he waited until the most crucial part of the Lightning season in perhaps the biggest game of his career to break out a move that will be replayed again and again.
When Vinny Lecavalier put his stick between his legs and flicked the puck into the net with 16.5 seconds left in the third period to send Game 3 into overtime, he scored the most improbable goal of his career. And possibly the biggest in Lightning history.
"It was pure luck," Lecavalier said.
Maybe, but it also was a play so skilled that few players would have even tried it.
"That's athleticism right there, putting a stick between his legs," said Lightning coach John Tortorella. "That's talent."
The play started with a faceoff in the Montreal zone. Dave Andreychuk, who just a few minutes before lost a faceoff that led to Montreal's go-ahead goal, won the draw. Martin St. Louis shoveled the puck back to defenseman Pavel Kubina, whose hustle kept the puck in the zone.
Kubina guided the puck toward Andreychuk, who shoved the puck toward the net. That's when Lecavalier performed his magic.
"I was in front of the net waiting," Lecavalier said. "I knew I couldn't get it (with my stick in front of me), so I just put my stick between my legs so I could touch it."
Lecavalier smiled a shy grin and said, "Luckily, it went in."
But what was it that made him put his stick between his legs? Instinct? Quick thinking? Maybe even arrogance?
Perhaps a little of everything. But, mostly, it was necessity.
"That's the only way I could go," Lecavalier said. "If I didn't do that, I couldn't get my stick on it."
The goal capped a homecoming Lecavalier could not have dreamed of. Returning to Montreal, near where he grew up, he faced something he never had before: boos. Usually treated warmly by the Montreal crowd, he was booed every time he touched the puck.
"Were they (booing)?" Lecavalier said, but his smile admitted he heard the boos. "Well, I heard that with other guys too. Hey, (the fans) are great. They're obviously cheering for their team and very supportive of their Montreal Canadiens. I don't know how to take (the booing), but that's all right. It's the playoffs. They want to win."
It must have felt good, though, to silence the crowd with such a spectacular goal.
"Well, it's not about silencing my hometown," Lecavalier said. "It's just about winning. I know growing up loving the Montreal Canadiens and to play against them is a dream come true. But if it would've been the New York Islanders and we scored with 10 seconds and then in overtime, I would've been just as happy. But, obviously, playing in front of my friends and family, and all the people I know watching the game, it's going to be a little extra special."
Extra special? That's the only way to describe a goal that's so fancy even kids on the frozen ponds don't dream of it.