Svechnikov attempts 'Michigan' goal 1.1K likes

SportsCenter posted a video on May 23 showing Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov attempting a lacrosse-style “Michigan” move during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final against the Montreal Canadiens. The clip drew more than 1,100 likes on X, according to the social-media post cited in the source briefing. The play circulated as Carolina beat Montreal 3-2 in overtime on Saturday to tie the best-of-seven series at 1-1. Andrei Svechnikov is closely tied to the move in NHL circles because the Hurricanes winger was the first NHL player to score on a lacrosse-style attempt, according to widely cited league history and background references. NHL.com has also labeled one of his previous goals a “lacrosse-style goal,” reflecting the league’s own terminology for the play. (x.com) ### What exactly was in the clip that spread on X? SportsCenter’s May 23 post showed Svechnikov trying to lift the puck onto his stick from behind the net and whip it toward the goal mouth, the move commonly known as the “Michigan.” The source briefing said the post was reshared by major hockey accounts and ranked among the more-liked sports posts on X that day. The “Michigan” refers to a lacrosse-style scoring attempt in which a player picks the puck up on the blade behind the net and tries to stuff it into the top corner in one motion. (nhl.com) NHL.com and other hockey references use “lacrosse-style goal” to describe the same maneuver. ### Why is Svechnikov the player people associate with this move? (x.com) Andrei Svechnikov has a long connection to the move because he helped bring it into regular NHL highlight packages. NHL.com’s player page lists him as a top-line Carolina winger with 31 goals and 70 points in 79 regular-season games in 2025-26, and league video archives include prior Svechnikov “lacrosse-style” goals. (nhl.com) His earlier successful attempts made this latest try notable even though it did not go in. The online reaction reflected that history: viewers were not just reacting to a trick play, but to a player who already has a record of pulling it off on NHL ice. That connection is an inference based on Svechnikov’s past use of the move and the attention the clip received. (nhl.com) ### What was happening in the series when he tried it? Carolina played Montreal in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final on May 23 at Lenovo Center. The Hurricanes won 3-2 in overtime, according to game coverage and recap material surfaced in search results, splitting the first two games after Montreal took Game 1. (nhl.com) Svechnikov did not score in Game 2, according to NHL.com’s player log, but he remained part of Carolina’s top attacking group and recorded three shots. His season totals underline why clips of his skill plays travel quickly during the playoffs. ### Why do hockey accounts keep posting this kind of attempt even when it misses? The move is rare because it requires control, timing and enough space behind the net to lift the puck cleanly. (montrealgazette.com) A failed attempt can still become a highlight because the difficulty is obvious on replay and because only a small group of NHL players try it in playoff games. (nhl.com) SportsCenter’s post fit that pattern on May 23. The clip’s engagement came less from a scoring result than from the fact that Svechnikov tried one of hockey’s most recognizable high-skill moves on a conference-final stage. That description is supported by the post’s engagement and Svechnikov’s established history with the play. ### What comes next in this series? Game 3 of the Hurricanes-Canadiens series is set for Monday in Montreal after Carolina’s overtime win tied the series 1-1. (sportingnews.com) NHL.com’s playoff schedule pages and game coverage indicate the conference-final bracket is continuing on a best-of-seven basis. (x.com) Svechnikov enters that game as one of Carolina’s most watched forwards, whether the next highlight comes from a conventional shot or another try at the move that made him part of NHL history. (nhl.com) (montrealgazette.com)