There’s nothing like 10-bell saves in overtime.
There’s just so much on the line in the lead up to them, and if they’re not made at the required time, the game is over. You’d expect a couple of Vezina winners to understand this heading in, knowing at least one or two will be necessary on the way to victory.
During the first overtime period in Game 2 of the Round 2 matchup between the Boston Bruins, several 10-bell’ers were needed to keep the game going.
Tuukka Rask was up to the task on this Nick Foligno play. Rask read the play so poorly that he had no choice but to flash the leather:
Sergei Bobrovsky had a few more to make in the frame.
No. 1:
No. 2:
BOB! Unbelievable! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/7EMz2thSnw
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) April 28, 2019
And No. 3, which was quite the adventure:
[insert grimacing emoji here] #StanleyCup
— NHL (@NHL) April 28, 2019
🇺🇸Watch: https://t.co/H6T1B2tSH5 @nbc
🇨🇦Watch: https://t.co/Ru1tdgCszT @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/AK2kUGqXkg
Each goalie turned aside 10 shots in overtime and you get the feeling it’s going to take something special to beat either one of these guys. Or something really odd. Conventional shots just won’t do.
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