Best Goalie Performance Against Your Team in the Playoffs That You've Witnessed

[JasonRoseEh]

Lundqvist vs Holtby in 2015 is the answer for Capitals and Rangers fans and is the best goalie duel since the lockout.

.946 and .945 SV%, respectively. 25 total goals in 7 games, all decided by one goal. Four 2-1 games and a 1-0 game.

Yup, the 2 best goaltending performances I've seen this decade have both been at the expense of the Capitals. Halak in 2010 and Lundqvist in 2015, specifically game 6 and 7. Outside of a prime Hasek I've just never seen anything like it. Insane levels of goaltending.

Honourable mention to Fleury in 2017.

 

[Avsavsavsavsavs]

It's probably not the best performance against the Avs all time, but very recent memory is Mike Smith in that Calgary - Avs series from last year. I've never seen a goalie face that sort of onslaught and still manage to steal a game. He was fantastic all series, a few of those games it could've easily been 10-0 10-1 with anyone else in net.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Sens and Flyers
I think Lalime let in 2 goals in 5 games

 

[njdevils1982]

Hasek with that 70 save shutout game in the playoffs is gotta be top 3 for sure, it forced a game 7 for the Sabres vs Devils.
Wasn't against my team but it was damn impressive, I was 9 years old and started playing more goalie in road hockey because of it.

marty was no slouch that game either…..49 saves on 50 shots… 2 legends

New Jersey Devils at Buffalo Sabres Box Score — April 27, 1994 | Hockey-Reference.com

 

[Matty Sundin]

When Toronto played Carolina in the 2002 Eastern Conference Final, I remember getting frustrated that they couldn't capitalize on all their chances against Artus Irbe. In total they scored only 6 goals in six games, with only 1 goal coming at 5v5 in Game 1 and their most goals scored in a game was 2 goals in Game 1.

unpopular opinion but Sundin coming back and changing the lines really messed with the chemistry the team had in the previous series. Not saying it’s Sundin’s fault since he did have that epic tying game in game 6. The team was also injured and beat to hell. . Irbe also played well so add all that and it was like we couldn’t score a goal. Realistically, that 2002 Detroit team would of massacred us if we met them in the finals

 

[Saint Patty 33]

Cam Ward in 2006 and Dominik Hasek in 1998 come to mind.

 

[Sheppy]

Rask had an ungodly series against the Penguins, 2 goals allowed in a 4 game sweep.

 

[BagHead]

Probably Giguere shutting the Wild out in 3/4 games in 2003. The game we scored on him, it was for 1 goal. He then went on to lose in 7 games to the Devils, but still came away with the Conn Smythe.

Now, the Wild weren't offensive dynamos or anything, but it was in the Western Conference Finals, and the Wild had just scored 16 goals against Patrick Roy's Avalanche and followed that up with 26 goals against the Canucks.

 

[JT Kreider]

For a single game performance it is probably Quick in Game 3 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. Everyone says we got blown out in that series and it was never close... but that was the only loss which didnt go to overtime and we outshot LA 32-15. Quick was a brick wall, it was so deflating. One of the few games I've ever watched where I truly felt the only way we were going to score is if a player picked the puck up and skated bowling ball style into Quick.

And then the Kings score on some nothing shot with .00001 seconds left on the clock and it was a wrap.

 

[ON3M4N]

Binnington vs Boston in game 7 last year

One of the best I've seen for my team

Rask vs PIT in 2013 - 0.44 GAA / .985 SV% / 2 SO

 

[flyersjim73]

I know we’re supposed to pick against our team, but Neuvirth for the Flyers in game 5 against the Caps comes to mind. The Flyers lost the series, but they got outshoot 44-11 (!!!) in game 5 and won 2-0. They should have got run out of the building and somehow forced a game 6 where they lost 1-0 on a goal that was unstoppable. I’ve never seen a game that was more stolen by a goalie than game 5 though.

 

[Pyrophorus]

CuJo as a Blue
Irbe as a Cane
VanBiesbrouck as a Flyer

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Halak 2010

 

[jetsforever]

Not that there's a lot to choose from, but Fleury was great against the Jets in 17-18. 30 or more saves in every win.

I was going to say that as well. Fleury was annoyingly good that series (after Game 1 at least), when we were icing a very offensively-skilled roster.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Dwayne Roloson 2006 WCSF.

Dwayne Roloson 2003 WCSF.

 

[Hoser]

against the Flames? Can't honestly remember any performances sticking out, we have sucked in the first round for ever.

I would submit Kirk McLean. Infuriatingly stole games for the Canucks in '89 and '94.

 

[Boris Zubov]

As a Ranger fan, 2 performances really stand out.

Patrick Roy basically stole 3 games of the Wales Conference Finals in '86. Game 3 at MSG, in particular, was so infuriating. The Rangers poured it on hoping to avoid going down 3-0 in the series, but Roy was simply a brick wall. Nobody was beating the Habs that year be.

I would submit Kirk McLean. Infuriatingly stole games for the Canucks in '89 and '94.

That's ironic, the 2nd one that came to my mind immediately was McLean in Game 1 of the '94 Finals. Vancouver had absolutely no business being in that game. SOG were 54-31 in favor of the Rangers & if there was a stat for shot attempts at the time, it would show it being even more lopsided.

When Brian Leetch finally beat McLean late in the 1st OT, he rang one off the crossbar & it created an odd man rush the other way that the Canucks buried to win the game. I left MSG dazed & lost a ton of sleep worrying McLean would remain otherworldly for the rest of the series. He was that good that night.

 

[oilexport]

Hextall, 1987 Conn smythe winner against the cup champs, oilers.

 

[Iapyi]

I remember the early 90's and Curtis Joseph [the later traitor] when he was on St. Louis.

Spectacular goal-tending against the Maple Leafs.

unpopular opinion but Sundin coming back and changing the lines really messed with the chemistry the team had in the previous series. Not saying it’s Sundin’s fault since he did have that epic tying game in game 6. The team was also injured and beat to hell. . Irbe also played well so add all that and it was like we couldn’t score a goal. Realistically, that 2002 Detroit team would of massacred us if we met them in the finals

Not sure it's all that unpopular given the fact it was true [for whatever reason]

 

[tiburon12]

The Wings won against the Ducks in 2009 but I felt like Hiller was absolutely insane that series. Got huge respect for him after that.

and earlier that playoffs against the Sharks

 

[frisco]

A few as a Sabres/Penguins fan:
-Bernie Parent 1975 Finals.
-Billy Smith 1980 Semi-Finals.
-Glenn Healy (!) 1993 2nd round.
-Don Beaupre 1994 1st round.
-Beezer 1996 Semi-Final.
-Halak 2010 2nd round.
-Rask 2013 Semi-Final.

My Best-Carey

 

[Reality Czech]

Ben Bishop was godlike against STL last year. Did everything he could.

He surely did, but have you blocked out what Jonathan Quick did to the Blues during that Kings reign of dominance?

If you have blocked it from your memory I don't blame you one bit!

 

[Garnet76]

Reggie Lemelin for the Boston Bruins vs the Habs. I believe it was in the late 80's. Stole the show and him and Neely won the series. I believe they lost to Edmonton in the finals. I think that was the same year the lights kept going out in the old Boston gardens and the players would have to skate around to lift the fog.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

By the end of 2014, I no longer called Jonathan Quick a human being. He was just a forcefield that prohibited any and all Blues shots from entering the net. Back to back years of frustration and that dude was unreal

 

[lorwood]

Any team that faced Billy Smith in the playoffs