With just over 17 seconds remaining in overtime on Friday night, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan O'Byrne shoveled a backhand shot on St. Louis Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak and then began his celebration.
The rest of the Avs followed, forming a hockey hug in back of the Blues goal as players poured off the bench to join them. One problem: Halak, incredibly, had reached back and prevented the puck from entering the goal.
Here's the quick view:
The puck went off of Halak's stick, then his pad, then his arm; it hit the ice and rolled to the goal line where Halak desperately corralled it with this glove and shoved it out of harm's way. Video review confirmed it was no-goal.
As we've often said: Any incredible save that features the opposing team celebrating a no-goal gets bonus points.
But the hockey gods did not smite the Avs; no, it simply wasn't yet time for a victory. That time was in the shootout, as Ryan O'Reilly competed his 2-point night with the lone goal of the skills competition and the 3-2 Colorado win — the first time the Blues have lost a game this season after leading for two periods.
Halak's save was a beauty; Semyon Varlamov had an awesome game, was betting in the shootout and got the win — the second in a row for the Avs.