Advertisement

Brian Boyle explodes with emotion after scoring first goal since cancer diagnosis

Brian Boyle reacts to scoring his first goal with the New Jersey Devils. (Courtesy MSG/NHL.com)
Brian Boyle reacts to scoring his first goal with the New Jersey Devils. (Courtesy MSG/NHL.com)

In September, Brian Boyle was diagnosed with cancer. In November, he scored a goal in the National Hockey League.

It’s hard to imagine a more extreme swing of emotions in such a short amount of time, and those feelings certainly showed after Boyle deposited his first goal of the season against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. It was classic Boyle, too, banging home his own rebound from the top of the crease past goaltender Cam Talbot after putting the puck on goal and driving the net with his 6-foot-6 frame.

The happiness and explosive emotion was written all over Boyle’s face after his tally.

Both the Devils’ bench and the hometown crowd at the Prudential Center absolutely exploded after the goal, while cameras also caught Boyle bowing his head on the bench following the celebration with his teammates.

What a moment.

One can only imagine what was going through his mind on the bench, considering how difficult it was for him to describe his emotions several minutes later when the period expired in his interview with MSG’s Deb Placey:

“I’ve never cried after a goal before,” he said, searching for the words.

“That was – it’s a lot. It’s everything.”

Boyle’s goal gave New Jersey a 1-0 lead, but the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl scored with 16.3 seconds left in OT to give Edmonton a 3-2 victory.