Capitals' Holtby robs Vegas in dying minutes of Game 2 with possible save of the year
Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby made an incredible stick save Wednesday with two minutes left in regulation to secure a 3-2 win over the Las Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Thanks to Holtby’s save, which is already being hailed as the save of the year, the series is tied at one game apiece heading back to Washington for Game 3 on Saturday.
With just over two minutes remaining in the third period, Knights center Cody Eakin flipped a perfect pass in front of the net to winger Alex Tuch, who had a wide-open look at the goal from about five feet out.
Holtby, who had been protecting the net to his left to guard against Eakin, quickly shifted toward Tuch, who was on his right. Holtby was not able to get in front of Tuch in time, so he extended his stick and was miraculously able to block the shot.
Here’s a look at how the play unfolded.
Here it is in slow motion, just in case you missed it the first time.
YOU KIDDING ME, BRADEN HOLTBY?! 😱 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/z89E7QnwUw
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 31, 2018
“(Eakin) made a great play on a pass and I was just trying to get something over there and got fortunate a bit,” Holtby said after the game.
His teammates were less humble about the save.
“You see that kind of develop in your mind, you’re thinking there’s no way that bounces to them across the crease and then comes back across. Holts just makes the save of the year. Maybe the save of a lifetime. It’s unreal,” Capitals forward Jay Beagle said, according to ESPN. “It’s unreal.”
“Thank God he’s our goalie,” Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin said. “He’s over there when we need him, and it was probably the save of the year for sure.”
Alexander Ovechkin is all of us watching that Braden Holtby save. #ALLCAPS #GoldenKnights pic.twitter.com/Wlofnoci9j
— Amanda Guerra (@AmandaGuerraCBS) May 31, 2018
“I don’t know how to say it,” Ovechkin added. “It’s … incredible. He made the save. He didn’t stop. He didn’t quit on the play.”
Holtby ended up with 37 saves on the night.
If Washington ends up winning the Stanley Cup, that Braden Holtby save will forever go down in Capitals history. Unreal.
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) May 31, 2018
“To me, it was the hockey gods,” said Washington head coach Barry Trotz. “They evened it up from last game. Once he made that save, I knew we were going to win the game.”
Tuch, meanwhile, was disappointed he didn’t get it done.
“I’ve got to bury that,” Tuch said.
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