Wake Up Vegas! Play of the Day: Pacioretty's Sneaky Snapshot

Since being acquired by the Golden Knights in September of 2018, Max Pacioretty has hit the back of the net 54 times for Vegas in the regular season in addition to his five playoff markers from 2018-19.

There are a lot of facets of Pacioretty's game that allow him to fill the net with the best of them. His hockey sense, nose of the net and powerful skating all allow him to get to areas where goals are found, but it's his shot that often results in goalies fishing the puck out of their net.

Analysis from VGK Analyst Mike McKenna
Spoiler alert: if you want to routinely score 30+ goals in an NHL season, you need a great shot. Enter Max Pacioretty. Since the 2011-12 season - Pacioretty's first full-time NHL campaign - he's eighth among all players in goals scored. That's ahead of names like Kessel, Tarasenko, and Crosby.

Potting the sheer number of goals Pacioretty has isn't by luck. Excluding the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, Max has eclipsed the 30-goal mark six times, and this year had a good chance at reaching 40 before the NHL regular season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So, what exactly is the root of his consistency? First, Pacioretty possesses incredible game sense and a willingness to get to the front of the net. He cleans up rebounds, fights for deflections, and has the internal desire to be a factor every night. It's why he's previously been a captain in the National Hockey League.

But more than anything, Max Pacioretty's wrist shot is world class. He routinely beats goaltenders clean; even when they see it, they can't always stop it. That's uncommon in today's game, and there's several factors involved.

The first of which is accuracy. As highlighted by this goal scored on Jonathan Quick of the LA Kings, Pacioretty doesn't need much room to shoot at. He's looking at a tiny triangle just above Quick's glove hand - with no room to spare - and he picks it with ease. Ripping a shot like this in a game setting isn't easy. A target has to be identified. The puck has to be cradled. But Pacioretty has no problem doing so in a split-second.

Another variable is sheer velocity. If you've ever had the opportunity to shake hands with Max, it's obvious just how strong he is, and it comes through in his shot. Listen to how loud the CLINK is when the puck impacts the crossbar. That raw, primal sound of rubber impacting iron at high speed is a showstopper. When a goal is scored bar-down like that, the entire arena takes notice. The players on the bench gasp. The peanut vendors stop in the aisle. It's game changing.

And finally, when Pacioretty doesn't have a clean look at the net, he's able to use another weapon: a quick, disguised release. His shot is hard for goaltenders to read because of the way he cradles the puck; they don't know where it's going until it comes off the blade. In this goal versus Vancouver, Pacioretty wisely uses Canucks defenseman Jordie Benn as a screen, shooting the puck far side and limiting goaltender Mike DiPietro's ability to track the shot.

Notice how Max's head is up the entire time he's attacking towards the net. Not only does it give him a clear view of his target, it also allows him to decipher his surroundings and take advantage of any defensive weakness presented. In this instance, the combination of a quick, sneaky release and heady use of the Canucks defenseman as a screen resulted in Pacioretty's second goal of the game.

In the last decade, with advancement in stick technology and skill training, most NHL players have developed an excellent shot. But they're not all burying 30+ goals a season like Max Pacioretty. When you combine all the ingredients listed above, it's a recipe for success.