There's probably no greater exclamation point for a spectacular save than a premature celebration.
Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks thought he had a goal in the second period Sunday night against the Detroit Red Wings, raising his arms in the air. Jimmy Howard's glove had other ideas.
Ryan Getzlaf fired the puck on goal, it hit Corey Perry — who, in turn, appeared to bump Howard in his crease — and then fell to the ice in front of Ryan. He fought off a Nicklas Lidstrom check, put a shot at a gaping net only to have Howard dive and reach back with this glove to keep it out.
It was close, but Howard appeared to keep the puck from crossing the line. It would have been interesting to see if the goal would have stood anyway with Howard possibly getting jostled by Perry.
Howard made 32 saves in the 4-2 victory over the Ducks, moving to 10-5-1 on the season with a stellar 1.85 GAA. This came after a 23-save performance in a win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night. Howard had "recorded shutouts in three of his previous five starts vs. the Ducks," according to MLive.com.
And yet he was left off the NHL All-Star Game ballot …