NHL Scores: Ron Hextall Honored by the Flyers, Caps Win

Ron Hextall was the first NHL goalie to actually score a goal.

On Wednesday night in Philadelphia, the hometown Flyers honored one of their greatest goalies in the first intermission with an induction into the team's Hall of Fame.

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Ron Hextall burst onto the scene in 1987 as a rookie when he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender and guided the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals. Though Philly would lose to Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers in seven games, Hextall would win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.

But Hextall is perhaps best known for what he did on Dec. 8, 1987 against the Boston Bruins. The great Billy Smith of the New York Islanders was once credited for a goal after a member of the Colorado Rockies scored into his own net, but Hextall was the first to actually shoot the puck in the goal.

“The special part to me was the whole team came over the boards and it was almost like we won a playoff round or something,” Hextall recalled for phillyBurbs.com.

“Guys were real excited. I don't want to say it became a rallying point. It became a bit of a team accomplishment. Everybody was pumped after the game. The Flyers gave everyone a plaque with the game sheet. It became special to me because of the reaction of my teammates.”

Hextall was also the perfect Flyer, often mixing it up with the opposition. Check out this classic Hextall moment from a game between Philly and the Leafs.

Unfortunately for the fans who cheered Hextall tonight, the Flyers fell to the Washington Capitals 4-3. Alex Ovechkin - surprise, surprise - scored the game-winner with his 46th of the season.