Montreal Canadiens: Watch Kale Clague Hammer Home His First NHL Goal

Montreal Canadiens defenceman Kale Clague scored his first career NHL goal tonight.

The Los Angeles Kings second round pick from the 2016 NHL Draft is an offensive defenceman but he hasn’t played many games at the highest level yet in his career.

The 23 year old played 33 games with the Kings over three seasons before being placed on waivers and claimed by the Canadiens earlier this season. He had 11 points in those games but they were all assists. In 129 career games at the AHL level, Clague had scored 16 goals and 70 points.

Clague has been six games for the Canadiens now, and blasted home his first ever NHL goal tonight. Though it took his 39 games to get here, he looked like Al MacInnis winding up with a huge slap shot and stepping into a puck before it ripped off the back of the net.

The play was set up by a great rush by Ryan Poehling. The Habs centre flew up the middle of the ice, beating a couple of opponents before drawing in a defender and sliding a pass across to Cole Caufield on the right wing. Caufield wasted no time firing the puck back across the ice to an open Clague.

Clague corralled the puck, glided a little closer to the net, and then wound up for a shot that blew past the Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender.

It wasn’t the only first for the Canadiens on the night. Rafael Harvey-Pinard scored the first goal of his NHL career. Corey Schueneman picked up the first assist of his NHL career and it was on Harvey-Pinard’s goal.

David Savard scored the first goal of his Habs career as he stepped up on a loose puck at the blue line before stick handling around Victor Hedman and firing a wrist shot into the net.

Lukas Vejdemo scored his first goal of the season and it was assisted by Cedric Paquette who got his first career point with the Montreal Canadiens.

It still wasn’t enough as the Canadiens lost 5-4 in overtime and dropped to 7-21-4 on the season.