It’s a game of inches sometimes, a reference that is reserved for goals that narrowly miss the net or ping off the post.
Sometimes it applies to hits that would otherwise have been a complete train wreck if not for a last-second twitch to avoid disaster.
We saw the latter during the first period of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins (Stream here).
David Pastrnak made a cut at the Blues blue line, right into the path of a salivating Brayden Schenn, who sized up the Bruins’ forward for the next passenger on the Schenn Express.
Pastrnak saw Schenn -- just -- and made himself as small as possible as he looked to avoid the hit. The two collided, but this it was Schenn who was sent head-over-heels to the ice as Pastrnak moved slightly to his right, allowing all of Schenn’s momentum to go flying past him, literally.
Both players seemed to be fine, despite the near miss and Schenn’s tumble.
Boston leads 3-0 after one period. The series is tied 1-1.
Schenn can certainly lay the body, including this hit on Boston’s David Krejci from last season.
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