Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber scored his 150th goal and 400th point in his NHL career in a 7-5 win over the Ottawa Senators at Bridgestone Arena Tuesday night. It only took Weber 30, 699 games to reach the milestone, and he joined the ranks of Dan Boyle and Zdeno Chara as the only active defensemen to have 150 goals.
“I’m not done playing yet,” Weber said after the game. “It’s very fortunate to be able to play in this league. It’s a great league, and the Predators have given me a great opportunity to be here. We just have to keep winning games and get on a roll here.”
One of the many reasons Weber is an NHL superstar is because of his blistering, accurate 108.5 mph slap-shot. Having a shot like Weber’s obviously leads to many goals and a lot of injuries to those brave enough to block it. Though many of Weber’s goals are similar, let’s take a look at his top five goals in his career.
5. From Section 317
Weber is not known for being fancy, and this is a rare trick shot from the Preds’ captain. In a light-hearted competition between country music artist Dierks Bentley on Feb. 4, 2012, Weber shot a puck from section 317 in the upper deck at Bridgestone Arena and scored.
4. Blown Past Brian Elliot
An underrated and unnoticed aspect of Weber’s game is his ability to read a play and find enough space to unleash his slap shot. In this goal against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 30, 2014, Weber saw four Blues following the puck behind the net, so he pinched into the play and had the space and momentum to blow a shot past Brian Elliott. Apparently, the shot was actually so fast Elliott had no clue where the puck went until the goal horn blasted and the referee signaled it was a goal.
3. Top Shelf Laser vs Blackhawks
Already ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 on Nov. 16, 2013, Weber put the icing on the cake with an authoritative cannon past Corey Crawford. The Chicago goaltender had no chance at stopping the shot, but nevertheless, he immediately broke his stick on the goal frame in frustration. Luckily, former Predator Patric Hornqvist was able to leap out of the way of the shot. Can you imagine the damage it would have done if Hornqvist got in the way of it? Ouch.
2. Through the Net
If it was necessary to further prove how hard and fast Weber’s slap shot is, this sealed it. At the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver as a member of Team Canada, Weber’s shot was so blistering it went through the net against Team Germany. Honestly, Thomas Greiss was probably pretty pleased the puck went into the net rather than hitting him in the shoulder or chest.
1. Forcing OT in Game 5
As seen in these videos, Weber has one of the best slap shots in hockey. However, many may not know how accurate his wrist shot is, as well. The best goal Weber has scored in his career occurred on Apr. 22, 2011 in Game 5 against the Anaheim Ducks with the series tied 2-2. Nashville was down 3-2 in the final minute of Game 5 and possibly facing elimination in Game 6. With 35.3 seconds remaining in regulation, Weber’s wrist shot from the point went though a maze of players and into the net to force overtime. Nashville went on to win Game 5, which was the first Game 5 victory in franchise history. It later set up a series win in Game 6, which would be the first time in history the Predators advanced past the first round. The goal may not be the most dazzling in Weber’s highlight reel, but it is the most significant.
Colin Fitts is a Nashville Predators staff writer for The Hockey Writers. You can follow Colin on Twitter, @FittsTHW, and e-mail him at 22fitts@gmail.com.