For most teams, the key to victory is getting into the opposing net minder's head. But on Monday night, the Buffalo Sabres got into Mike Smith's pants.

On a late bid for the wackiest hockey moment of 2013 (actually, this wasn't even a bid, it was a straight-set victory), Mike Smith rushed out to challenge a puck, as he often does, only to see it jump up into the air. Then, when he lost sight of it, he retreated back into his net to prevent against some sort of strange, fluky play that would never be forgotten. The only problem: the puck had dropped into the back of his pants, and when his butt crossed the goal line, it did too. A strange, fluky play that would never be forgotten, as it gave the Sabres an overtime victory.

The butt goal. Forget Corey Perry's shot from his knees. Forget Tomas Hertl deking Martin Biron into retirement. The butt goal is the goal of 2013.

And so, I have written an ode. Because it's Christmas, and because Adam Proteau taunted me, and because Mike Smith really stuck his neck out, and by neck, I mean butt, I give you the hastily-recorded "Goal in a Butt", set to a timeless holiday classic by Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg.

It was also the most Buffalo moment imaginable. From the turd jersey to their league-worst record, this year has been ass for the Sabres, so the butt goal was really the most fitting way to go into the Christmas break.

It should be noted that I'm not the only one who felt the need to make a last-minute tribute to the butt goal. It was also immortalized at Ali Lawrence's great hockey-pony Tumblr, My Little Blackhawk.

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Harrison Mooney is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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