James Neal Joins Exclusive Club By Reaching 20-Goal Plateau

It was a memorable goal in the moment - even without the historical context. It brought people out of their seats in the building, it caught the attention of viewers watching on TV or listening on the radio. In hockey parlance - it was a beauty.
The goal brought the Vegas Golden Knights even with the Florida Panthers at 3-3 and eventually earned James Neal's team a point. It also skated the Vegas winger into NHL history. Neal's third period goal, which saw him put defenders into a spin cycle capped off with a laser which Panthers goalie James Reimer could barely wave at, was his 20th of this season.
A feat he had accomplished in the previous nine seasons to give him 20 goals in 10 campaigns and put him in a very exclusive scoring club. Neal has scored 20 goals in all 10 of his NHL seasons. Only 135 NHL players, including Neal, have reached this mark.
Neal is also among a list of six active NHL players who have scored 20 goals in all 10 or more of their career NHL seasons.

A big man with one of the best shots in the NHL, Neal is above all a goal scorer. It's what made him an NHL player and it's what makes him an elite NHL player. He's different. He can find a slice of ice when all around him seems clogged. And when the puck arrives on his stick - it's almost immediately gone. So often in his career - now 258 times through 677 games - a shot from Neal has triggered the goal judge to light his red lamp.
"I feel good. It's something I want to achieve every year. I want to be consistent. I'm a goal scorer and I put the puck in the net," said Neal, late Friday night after his club's 4-3 overtime loss in Florida. "I've been fortunate enough to play with great players along the way and to learn and to grow. This is a goal I'll remember. (Erik) Haula made a great pass and I got the guy spinning around and I found the back of the net. It was a good feeling. It tied the game. But we wanted to win this game pretty badly. Still we got the one point. Would have been better to get two."

Neal has crested the 30-goal mark once in his career and the 40-goal line once as well. With 20 goals through 45 games this season, Neal has lots more time to wear out light bulbs in both Vegas and the rest of the NHL.