It didn’t take long for Boston Bruins goaltender Dan Vladar to show off his talent against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Vladar made one of the most impressive saves you’ll see this season, reaching out his stick to stop a point-blank chance from Pittsburgh’s Colton Sceviour, who essentially had an open net in the first period.
Vladar stopped 34 of the 35 shots he faced, but this one specific save stood above all the rest and, looking back on it, helped propel the Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the Penguins on Tuesday night.
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Vladar admitted it was a “lucky” save which happens “once in 100 times” while talking with reporters after the game. But Vladar did not how he was appreciative that it came Tuesday, in his first career start.
And his Bruins teammates loved it, too.
“Well, it certainly gave the group confidence. The whole bench got up,” head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters after the game. “When you make a save like that it’s bound to lift the guys. What it does for him, I don’t know, I don’t know him that well. I assume it makes him feels pretty good. It certainly gave our guys a lift and it gives their team something to think about when those don’t go in. So, at the end of the day, obviously it was a critical play in the game.”
Trent Frederic, who scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, couldn’t believe it.
“Yeah, I got to see it live. I haven’t got to see it replay. It was pretty unreal,” Frederic told reporters. “Once he did that I knew he was locked in. We knew we had to get the win for him. He’s really worked hard all the way to this point, and he really battled for us tonight.”
Frederic didn’t exactly feel too badly for Sceviour, who had what looked like a surefire goal.
“I’d be pretty bummed out for sure,” Frederic joked when asked how he’d feel if it happened to him. “But, you know, he’ll maybe make ESPN tonight on the opposite side. So, stinks for him.”
The 23-year-old goaltender had quite a wholesome reaction to Tuesday’s win and explained how it made him the “happiest kid in the world.”
