MaynardJKeenan 1 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 He'll be applauded for helping the Leafs get higher in the draft lottery. Not only did he embarrass himself, he went on to win and not help at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eva unit zero 271 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 It's not bad luck or the fact that the puck was knuckling. Get your damn body in front of it. Don't just try to use your glove to stop it. If someone taught him to try to stop the puck that way that person should be shot. It looked like he was going down to block the shot and it popped off the ice and over him. I've had similar experiences playing baseball, so I can understand how difficult it is to react to something like that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seeinred 1,488 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 It looked like he was going down to block the shot and it popped off the ice and over him. I've had similar experiences playing baseball, so I can understand how difficult it is to react to something like that. Exactly. The puck was coming in at an angle, and he was in good position for where the puck was going. You can say he should've stopped that, but I bet that would've scored on 80% of NHL goalies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GMRwings1983 8,803 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 I'd like to see Dom doing the snowman trying to save that one. He wouldn't have to. Lilja would step in there and stop it for him. Seriously, though, Hasek isn't the goalie on this team with a history of goals like that, so I wouldn't even kidd about it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hockeytown0001 7,652 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 In other words, Antero Niittymaki just had the save of the year on Kovalchuck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dallas27 7 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 It looked like he was going down to block the shot and it popped off the ice and over him. I've had similar experiences playing baseball, so I can understand how difficult it is to react to something like that. He put his glove out to try and catch it. Shot like that you have to get your whole body in front of it. You can't just try to grab it. Get your body in front of it, let it hit your chest. It's happened to me before and that's how I handled it. Before anyone says u arent in teh nhl tho lolz!!11!!1!1! You don't have to be in the NHL to try and stop a puck that is knuckling. It's happened to me in baseball too. That's why when you field a grounder you get your body in front of the ball to at least knock it down if it takes a bad hop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
puckloo39 5,686 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 He wouldn't have to. Lilja would step in there and stop it for him. Seriously, though, Hasek isn't the goalie on this team with a history of goals like that, so I wouldn't even kidd about it. or Nick would. Thankfully, Cloutier will never be a Red Wing. That one was and is still the best long goal ever. Poor Vesa... no worries that he will do such a thing in the playoffs, anyway. Not this year anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eva unit zero 271 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 He put his glove out to try and catch it. Shot like that you have to get your whole body in front of it. You can't just try to grab it. Get your body in front of it, let it hit your chest. It's happened to me before and that's how I handled it. Before anyone says u arent in teh nhl tho lolz!!11!!1!1! You don't have to be in the NHL to try and stop a puck that is knuckling. It's happened to me in baseball too. That's why when you field a grounder you get your body in front of the ball to at least knock it down if it takes a bad hop. I'm speaking more of a hard grounder that all of a sudden was knocking my cap off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DyingAlive 27 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 That is amazing... Haha, I've always wondered if something like that would ever happen. That thing just bounced bounced and bounced right into the back of the net. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blood On The Ice 15 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 I'd like to see Dom doing the snowman trying to save that one. Poor Toronto. No luck this year. I don't know which is worse, Toskala allowing the 197 footer in or Brian McCabe firing a slap shot into his own net. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Never_Retire_Steve 35 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 Yikes. While that definitely should've been stopped obviously, we've seen goofy shots from deep every now and then. I can easily recall three from goofy bounces involved in Detroit games. Langenbrunner on Osgood against Dallas in the playoffs in 1998, Lidstrom on Cloutier in the playoffs in 2002, and Datsyuk's goofy knuckleball goal from the blueline at St. Louis early this season against Legace. Tommy Salo's bad goal against Belarus probably deserves mentioning as well in the 2002 Olympics. They are definitely few and far between but it does occur. Well as a Wings fan........ I can remember a few from the mid nineties unfortunately and is probably the reason why I dislike Osgood so much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dallas27 7 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 I'm speaking more of a hard grounder that all of a sudden was knocking my cap off. With all due respect you can't compare this goal to a hard grounder, maybe to a slap shot that was tipped or something. But not a shot from 197 feet. It's like a routine grounder that hits a rock in front of you and it takes a bad hop. If you have your body in front of it odds are you are going to knock it down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wingslogo19 281 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 Leafs go on and win the game tonight Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eva unit zero 271 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 With all due respect you can't compare this goal to a hard grounder, maybe to a slap shot that was tipped or something. But not a shot from 197 feet. It's like a routine grounder that hits a rock in front of you and it takes a bad hop. If you have your body in front of it odds are you are going to knock it down. He did have his body in front of it. His glove swipe was in front of his body, not beside it. The fact is, the puck hopped up, but it also hopped sideways. So while he was completely in front of where it was going, it didn't end up going there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seeinred 1,488 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 (edited) With all due respect you can't compare this goal to a hard grounder, maybe to a slap shot that was tipped or something. But not a shot from 197 feet. It's like a routine grounder that hits a rock in front of you and it takes a bad hop. If you have your body in front of it odds are you are going to knock it down. Right, except it also takes a bad hop to your left and not just up. It doesn't matter if your body's in front of it, because the ball can still go around you. Edited March 19, 2008 by SeeinRed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redwing_sparty 0 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 man that was funny. i feel bad for the guy, but he should have gotten totally in front of it. if i was a toronto fan i'd just be ticked off that i would have to keep watching everyone laugh at my team for the next week...(oh wait, i live in the usa sooo they will show it on sportscenter once tomorrow and then it will never show up again.....espn....they hate hockey) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SliderJeff 11 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 It looked like he was going down to block the shot and it popped off the ice and over him. I've had similar experiences playing baseball, so I can understand how difficult it is to react to something like that. Ditto. Bad bounced gave me lots of shiners, bloody noses and a sore groin once or twice after taking a bad hop into the cup. But again, as someone said... if you get IN FRONT OF THE PUCK/BALL/THING FLYING AT YOU, you keep the damn thing in front of you. It's taught to every sports playing kid from the time they can put on a glove. Body in front = contain the object in play. Body out of the way, hoping that the glove will magically always be there = guaranteed letdown at some point in time. Anyway, I feel bad for him either way. And I thank my lucky stars every day that I'm not a Toronto fan. Regs, Jeff Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cirov19 1 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 That is probably one of the funniest things I have seen happen in a hockey game. Nicely done Vesa, congratulations on giving anti-leafs fans more to make fun of. Although I will not blame him completely... it did take a horribly unlucky bounce... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Z and D for the C 712 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 (edited) I think it took a bounce to his left. He was off center so it's not like he'd move out of center to catch it with his glove that is centered. I think it could have happened to anyone, to be honest. Edited March 19, 2008 by Z and D for the C Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vladiator 116 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 Poor Vesa. Trapped with the Leafs and this happens. Got a kick out the commentator saying "Congratulations. This will be on all of the highlight reels for the the next month" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vincanni 1 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 Yep, after the initial laughter subsides I just feel awful for Toskala. It's been an interesting night for the NHL when you also consider Ovechkin's crazy empty netter. Just to think though, no matter how spectacular either was, ESPN's #1 play of the week will still be a last second game winning shot in basketball as it is every week. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Z and D for the C 712 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 And those happen 20 times a night too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doggy 130 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 I didn't watch the game but I gotta respect Toskala for not letting any more in for 46 mins and getting the win. That's mental toughness. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
interminded 1 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 Just bad luck. I've seen it happen to Brodeur, Roy, Hasek, Osgood, Fuhr, Joseph, Kolzig, Potvin... and probably a whole lot more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
akustyk 84 Report post Posted March 19, 2008 Nicely done Vesa, congratulations on giving anti-leafs fans more to make fun of. Although I will not blame him completely... it did take a horribly unlucky bounce... Jesus... have you ever played some hockey in goal? bounce is no excuse. you are supposed to cover the net with your own body and not try to catch the gum in your gloves. the main point here is not that it was a lucky bounce, but that this is a clutch game for Leafs and the goalie is not focused and understimates the situation. seriously... this is a must-win situation for them and you can't just relax and hope everything is gonna be fine truth being said, I never understood players who from their own will join teams like recent Leafs or Hawks and sign long term contracts. sure there's always some chance these will change and those teams will blossom. but it really is difficult to imagine this with teams managed so poorly like those two. this really doesn't make sense Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
