Goalie saves in big games that would have been legendary had their team won the game

[Crosby2010]

Was watching the 1994 Rangers/Devils series and it is hard to find a series in NHL history better than this one. We all know the stops Richter pulled out in the overtimes and such, but how many people remember Brodeur robbed Messier blind on what would have been the game winner in overtime just a minute before Matteau scored? Messier is all by himself at the side of the net and the script couldn't have been written any better for him to score but Brodeur showing a sign of things to come in the future stops him stone cold. Had the Devils scored right after this - and they almost did with Richer's hard shot and the puck almost bouncing in off of Nicholls' foot into the net - then we would have looked back at this save in legendary terms. Instead it is a footnote and not even remembered unless you watch the game yourself. How many others are like this? The Brodeur save is 4:15 into the video


Glen Hanlon stopping Bob Bourne in overtime in that classic Game 5 in 1984. Had the Rangers won that glove save is remembered fondly. Billy Smith meanwhile made his own big save off of Bob Brooke and then the Isles scored a minute later. That one is remembered, the Hanlon one is forgotten. But if the Rangers win the Hanlon one is legendary. 1:00 in.

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[jigglysquishy]

I went through that entire Rangers run for the goalie project. Brodeur gets pretty significant praise that series and might be the most praised player overall in the series. That run kind of gets forgotten to time, but a rookie being the best player in a series like that is very impressive.

 

[Crosby2010]

I went through that entire Rangers run for the goalie project. Brodeur gets pretty significant praise that series and might be the most praised player overall in the series. That run kind of gets forgotten to time, but a rookie being the best player in a series like that is very impressive.

After he makes that save off of Messier the announcers (Mike Emrick I think?) marvel at just how good this "kid" is. Something along the lines of "is he something else or what?" It was a sign of things to come. But if the Devils win, that save is postage stamp material. Because Messier did what he did in Game 6 previously and then to have him on the doorstep ready to bang in the winner to send them to the show was just poetic. If the Devils win that save is iconic.

 

[Brodeur]

This one still bums me out since two of my roommates were Sharks fans. We played in a Sunday beer league so they had to record the game and they set the DVR to record an extra 3 hours (maximum allowed). Game ended up going to 4 OTs so the recording didn't get all of it. Sharks ended up losing and I felt bad that they had to find out by looking up the score on their phone rather than being able to watch. If the Sharks had won, it would have forced a Game 7.



If the Flyers had won the 2000 ECF (and the Cup), this Brian Boucher save would probably have been more famous.

 

[buffalowing88]

Brodeur in Game 7 1994 is a great example.

Not in the NHL but on an international stage, Ryan Miller made some incredible saves on Nash and Crosby and faced 39 shots against in the 2010 Olympics Gold Medal final. If Crosby doesn't get the golden goal at the end, I think Miller is almost on par with the 1980 team for fame when it comes to USA Hockey.

 

[MadLuke]

If Canada loose to Latvia in 2014...

Gudlevskis and some of those save could be a bit famous, they would have played in medal game after that... by memory they achieved to score the winning goal by tiring him out...

 

[mrhockey193195]

Mike Richter on Scott Niedermayer in the 2002 gold medal game. One of the most outrageous, flexible saves I've ever seen that NEVER gets talked about. The game was only 2-1 Canada in the second period, USA was very much still in it.

Save is a the ~0:25 mark, so you can just watch the video from the beginning:

 

[McGarnagle]

Didn't Swayman stone Tkachuk on a breakaway in OT of game 7 a little before the Panthers ended up winning?