Too much ‘Michigan?’ Are Andrei Svechnikov’s lacrosse-style goals losing their pizzazz?

Are Andrei Svechnikov’s lacrosse-type goals becoming, dare we say it, more routine?

The Carolina Hurricanes forward scored on the move Tuesday against the Boston Bruins. The first to pull it off and successfully score in the NHL, Svechnikov now has three in his career. So does forward Trevor Zegras — something of a trick-shot artist — with the Anaheim Ducks.

But the “wow” factor to the shot is still there, Canes players said. Coach Rod Brind’Amour, too.

“It should be,” Brind’Amour said Thursday. “When he pulled that out the first time, it revolutionized, actually, minor hockey. Every kid now can do it.”

Including Brooks Brind’Amour, the coach’s youngest hockey-playing son?

“Oh, yeah,” Brind’Amour said “Since that day, there’s not a kid in Raleigh who can’t do it or at least try it. And a lot have perfected it. You watch kids games now and once a game someone is pulling that off and it’s become like normal.”

Svechnikov’s third, against the Bruins, might have been the best of the three.

“It was so fast, so skillful,” Brind’Amour said. “And I don’t think it was the top thing on the (NHL) highlights the next day. It was like, ‘Aw, we’ve seen that before.’ But it’s an impressive skill.”

Taking the puck near the right corner, Svechnikov first made a quick move around Bruins forward John Beecher, carried the puck behind the net, loaded it up on the back of his blade and beat goalie Jeremy Swayman.

And then, a surprise. The puck hit the back bar in the net and popped back out, and there was no referee’s signal for a goal. Svechnikov pointed back toward the net but had to jump back into the play until finally a siren sounded — the signal the shot had been reviewed in Toronto and ruled a goal.

“I knew it was a goal. I knew they were going to call it,” Svechnikov said Thursday.

Svechnikov’s 19th goal of the season came in the second period and was the first of the game as Carolina (50-22-7) went on to a 4-1 victory over the Atlantic Division leaders.

“When you see that in practice, it’s kind of like ‘OK’, but when you see it in a game, at full speed, against a really good team, it’s so much more impressive,” Canes center Sebastian Aho said Thursday. “It takes a lot of skill. It takes a lot of confidence. It’s so impressive to see. I don’t really have that in my mindset.”

Aho, who leads the Canes with 35 goals, said he has tried it in practice. But only practice.

“I don’t really remember ever thinking about it,” Aho said. “But obviously it’s worked well for him, and for sure keeps the other teams on their toes when they see him back there.”

The move has long been called the “Michigan,” since Mike Legg gained notoriety by pulling it off for the Wolverines in an NCAA Tournament game in 1996. But no one had done it in the NHL until Svechnikov against Calgary goalie David Rittich on Oct. 29, 2019. Svechnikov then did it again on Dec. 17, 2019, against Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck.

Zegras scored two in 2022 and his third Dec. 23, 2023.

After Svechnikov’s first, Legg said his phone quickly blew up as everyone wanted to talk about it. In a 2019 interview with the N&O, he called Svechnikov’s goal “so cool, so awesome” and added, “Tell him I’m happy for him.”

And Svechnikov? He more or less shrugged off the goal Thursday after practice. When someone quipped that maybe the move was getting a tad boring, he smiled broadly and said, “I know, right?”

“My first one, obviously, was crazy and the second one was pretty crazy, as well,” he said. “The third one was like, ‘OK, we’re getting used to seeing it,’ Maybe I need to pull something different here.

“It never gets old. But you’re also ready to celebrate after and …”

And he had to wait for the NHL good-goal signal.

“I would have had more fun if I could have celebrated,” Svechnikov said. “But it’s OK.”

As for a name for the move, hockey purists still call it “Michigan.” Some with the Canes have deemed it “The Svech.” Tripp Tracy, the team’s TV analyst, suggested “The Mista,” a play on Svechnikov playfully being called “Mista Svechnikov” by teammate Jordan Martinook.

Svechnikov’s choice?

“I don’t know,” he said, smiling again. “I’ll just let the people decide. I’m always happy when people call it my goal.

“I mean, everyone can do it now. All the young guys coming into the league, they all can do it. It’s super exciting to see it.”