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Capitals forward Nathan Walker becomes first Australian to play in NHL and nets goal

Nathan Walker became the first Australian native to play in the NHL and had a grand debut when the Washington Capitals forward scored his first career goal.

"At first, I wasn't 100 percent sure," the 23-year-old said of his goal.

Playing on the fourth line, Walker's second-period goal was originally credited to Devante Smith-Pelly, but when the change was announced to the crowd during the third period, his family waved Australian flags in Walker's honor.

"The first couple of shifts I didn't know what happened," Walker added.

Walker's goal capped the scoring in the Capitals' 6-1 win over the visiting Montreal Canadiens.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.