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An empty net goal isn’t exactly hockey’s most exciting play, but, man, did we get an exciting one courtesy of Detroit Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen.

The Red Wings played host to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night, it was a somewhat back-and-forth affair for most of the night.

However, with the game knotted at 3-3, the Red Wings found themselves on the powerplay, and Patrick Kane — as he has many times throughout his career — scored a timely powerplay goal 16:28 into the third stanza to give the Red Wings a 4-3 lead. 

So, with so little time left in regulation, Devils bench boss Sheldon Keefe waved goalie Jacob Markstrom to the bench for the extra attacker, a move that would have had anyone who took the Red Wings -1.5 (that’s a gutsy play against New Jersey, by the way, even at home) were on the edge of their seats.

With 11 seconds left, Rasmussen picked up the puck in the near corner and broke hard to the net where he tucked the puck into bed then totally steam-rolled Devils star Jack Hughes in the crease.

Then Rasmussen stared Hughes down and it was on!

Not going to lie: I loved this.

There has been some controversy with how players have handled empty-netters in recent years, namely last season when Ottawa’s Ridley Grieg scored an empty-netter by unloading a clap-bomb from point-blank.

This wasn’t that. This was Rasmussen driving hard to the net to put a pin in this game and earn himself two points. I love that, and I love that you’ve got a star in Hughes willing to just throw himself in front of him to keep it from happening when even if it worked, there was barely enough time for the Devils to break out, get down ice, and tie the game.

Great stuff. I love seeing games like this before we’ve even flipped the calendar over to November.