Pro Hockey Talk is taking a look back at the year in hockey. We’ll be presenting you with the best goals, saves, moments, players and more as we remember 2018.
Goalies. They’re a hockey team’s last refuge.
They’re tasked with what seems impossible at times. Saving hard, rubber pucks flying at blistering, dangerous speeds. The pads and other equipment are only getting smaller yet these brave souls choose to stand in harm’s way.
It’s admirable, above all else.
Goalies are the most important part of a hockey team. Most of the saves they make throughout the course of a season are routine. Flick the right pad out here, throw the glove the hand there.
But some... go above and beyond the call of duty. Some saves shouldn’t be saves at all. They defy logic. Sometimes physics, too. And we’re left only to watch in amazement and marvel at the replays.
And so while we approach the end of 2018, we look back at some of the most incredible saves of the past year.
There’s no particular order for these. Many of them are equally incredible in their own right and deserve to lauded as such.
The first we will see here is Marc-Andre Fleury being, well, Marc-Andre Fleury. Claude Giroux should have scored. He didn’t because of MAF.
Some saves are not only incredible but should be given a primary assist because, without them, the chance to score would simply vanish.
Colorado Avalanche goalie Jonathan Bernier’s paddle save on Ryan Kesler was tremendous in and of itself, and then it led to a goal by Nathan MacKinnon.
Goalies often have to make quick saves in succession.
A couple of quick shots or perhaps a shot and a save off the ensuing rebound.
Things like that.
In November, Carolina Hurricanes puck stopper Scott Darling robbed Anthony Mantha of a hat trick and then Mike Green of a game winner back to back in overtime.
November was a good month for saves that can’t be explained.
Calvin Peterson isn’t a household name (probably not even to Los Angeles Kings fans), but his save on Loui Eriksson was so dirty that he changed all that with one twist of his body and flash of his glove.
The two-pad stack is a thing of beauty.
Throughout the history of the NHL, there have been some insane variations of it all with the same ending: a jaw-dropping save and a dejected shooter.
Henrik Lundqvist appears here as the perpetrator. Evan Rodrigues is the poor victim.
David Pastrnak has a knack (get it?) for scoring goals.
He’s carving out a nice career doing so thus far.
But in the Stanley Cup Playoffs he had a sure goal snatched off the goal line by the paddle of Freddie Andersen.
Highway robbery in the worst degree.
Braden Holtby produced some magic last season, but arguably his best save of his career came in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
With the Caps down one game in the series and leading 3-2 in the game, Holtby came to the rescue after a bad bounce of the stanchion at T-Mobile Arena.
Alex Tuch’s look of horror said it all.
Alex Ovechkin’s relief did, too.
Of all the best saves this season, none was more important -- and arguably better looking -- than the one Holtby delivered in Game 2.
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Of course, the NHL is only one breeding ground for great saves. There are leagues across the world that produce the same quality.
The first save was good. The second was stellar. The third was just embarrassing for the team on offense:
Hello plays of the week? Cole McLaren just booked his spot on the highlight reel. #GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/COiHq8Vn1y
— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) October 12, 2018
I’ve said it before (probably above) and I’ll say it again, paddle saves are the best saves.
Here’s a beauty from the BCHL:
Save of the year candidate? Roll the highlight reel, @AdamMarcoux! @GoBCHL #BCHL #WeAreSmokeEaters pic.twitter.com/VawCQTyjz1
— Trail Smoke Eaters (@BCHLSmokeEaters) November 25, 2018
Some goalies don’t get a save-of-the-year candidate in their career.
Kyle Keyser of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals got two in four days.
#Gens "Save Of The Year" candidate 2: Kyle Keyser, Nov 21 @ Ottawa pic.twitter.com/wldP1JsSM0
— Generals Live (@GeneralsUpdates) November 27, 2018
Paddles, man.
Paddles.
Don't mind us, we'll just be watching this Filip Gustavsson save on repeat for the rest of 2018. 😱 pic.twitter.com/XeIhnUnEwd
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) December 2, 2018
PHT’s Sean Leahy did a whole post on this save.
Again with the paddle. But holy moly, this is bananas.
No Russian translation required.
Это надо увидеть и другим показать! Илья Сорокин совершает фантастическое спасение! 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/hIbrhtFOYo
— ХК ЦСКА Москва (@hccska) December 15, 2018
And don’t forget to watch the Top 18 saves of the season from NBC Sports.
More PHT Year in Review:
• Bloopers
• Moments
• Goals
• Players
Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck