Top Moments of the 2019-20 Regular Season: No. 1

With the 2019-20 regular season officially over, Hurricanes.com is counting down the top 10 moments from the last year, presented by Storm Brew from our friends at R&D Brewing.
Previous Top Moments: 10. Ward Retires, Sounds Warning Siren | 9. Geekie Shines in First Two NHL Games | 8. Canes Bolster Lineup on Deadline Day | 7. Hamilton Scores from the Red Line | 6. Slavin Wins Accuracy Shooting at NHL All-Star Skills | 5. Aho Records Career-Long 14-Game Point Streak | 4. Staal Named Team Captain | 3. Williams Returns in Dramatic Fashion | 2. Ayres EBUG Triumph

1. Andrei Svechnikov scores two lacrosse-style goals
Prior to the evening of Oct. 29, 2019, no player in the National Hockey League had ever scored a lacrosse-style goal.
That night, Andrei Svechnikov
became the first
.
That, in itself, was special enough.
Just 49 days later, Svechnikov
did it again
.
The top moment from the Canes' 2019-20 regular season? A 19-year-old accomplishing something no one else has at the highest level of the sport - and not just once, but twice.
"Just Svech doing Svech things," Brian Gibbons marveled.
Let's rewind the tape.
On Oct. 29, the Canes were trailing the Calgary Flames at home, 1-0. David Rittich had turned away everything the Canes threw at him, having recorded 18 saves on 18 shots through the first 40 minutes.
Then, Svechnikov found himself with the puck behind the net, and he had time and space to make a move. So, he reached "into those bag of tricks for some magic," as play-by-play voice John Forslund described it. Svechnikov slammed on the brakes and reversed course behind the net. He scooped the puck up on his blade and jammed it through a tight hole over Rittich's right shoulder.

"He's practiced it every day for the last two years," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said after the game. "He never misses it in practice. It was just a matter of time for it to happen. It was a huge moment. We needed it."
The season wasn't even a month old, and that was already the goal of the year.
READ: BREAKING DOWN SVECHNIKOV'S LACROSSE-STYLE, HIGHLIGHT-REEL GOAL
But, Svechnikov wasn't finished. He did warn everyone.
"When D pressure you, you can't really do that because you don't have any room," Svechnikov said. "If I have room like I had, I'm going to try, for sure."
Sure enough, less than two months later in Winnipeg, Svechnikov did it again.

Not breaking his stride, Svechnikov skated behind the net, opened up his hips to face the back of the cage, scooped the puck onto his blade and stuffed it in over Connor Hellebuyck's right shoulder. The mechanics were a near replica, but the execution was arguably even more impressive, given that Svechnikov accomplished it in one fluid motion.
READ: SVECHNIKOV SCORES ANOTHER LACROSSE-STYLE GOAL
Which is better? Does it matter? Enjoy them both for what they are. After all, it had never happened before in the NHL until Svechnikov did it not once, but twice in the same season.
That's special, and it makes The Svech, both 1.0 and 2.0, worthy of the top spot in our countdown of the top moments from the Canes' 2019-20 regular season.
"You can't say enough about the kid," said Jordan Staal, who tossed his hands up in seeming disbelief when Svechnikov scored in Winnipeg. "So talented. Such a hard worker. He plays tough and plays hard. He does everything and does everything really, really well. It shows. A goal like that is pretty special. He makes it look easy."