1. v. St. Louis Blues
Hold on, let me put on the glasses I never wear. I can’t be seeing this right. Did Andersen just make a save while he was on his side, laying in what seems like a rather lackadaisical position? Yes, he did. Watch it again.
He’s already knocked over and trying to get back into position could leave a few holes for Colton Parayko to poke through. He just stays put, forcing Parayko to act first. He shoots it from a distance allowing Andersen the time to react.
The second angle on the video shows off the save a bit better. We’re able to see Andersen laying on his side just waiting for the shot. Instead of overreacting, he throws his glove up and catches the puck.
He turns a probable scoring chance into a highlight real save, his best as a Leaf. Parayko had almost half the net to shoot the puck in. A good scoring chance stopped by a greater save.
Bonus
Aren’t you glad you made it to the bonus round? Here’s a funny clip. It kind of reminds me of when Sean Avery waved his stick in front of Martin Brodeur to distract him. Not a classy move but, effective as it resulted in a goal.
The difference here being that Connor McDavid isn’t trying to be a pest.
I think Andersen just wanted to say hi to McDavid but, I’m not sure. It kind of looks like a reverse of the whole Avery-Brodeur incident. Maybe Andersen didn’t want him looking at Rielly holding onto the puck for some reason? Who knows.