On Saturday night, the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Washington Capitals 2-0, despite being out-attempted 82-27, and outshot by an even worse margin of 44-11. The performance of Flyers’ goaltender Michal Neuvirth to secure the victory kept the Flyers in a series that should have ended last night.
The feat was reminiscent of the 2010 Eastern Conference Quarter-finals, in which Jaroslav Halak took over the crease from series starter Carey Price. Halak pulled off a 53-save effort in Game Six which will go down as one of the greatest modern-day goaltending performances for the Montreal Canadiens.
The Habs were severe underdogs going into the series against the number-one-ranked Capitals, and early indicators pointed to a quick exit. However, a strategic change of goalies for Game Five lit a spark, and a lights-out performance in Game Six completely changed the dynamic of the series, and deflated the Capitals’ confidence.
The Canadiens ended up winning the series in seven games, and went on to upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, as well, thanks to the team galvanization by the performance of their goaltender.
For anyone unfamiliar the game, it’s well worth revisiting. You can read our recap of the game published hours after its conclusion, and watch the highlights below.
