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Late in last night’s game, with the Caps clinging to a 3-2 lead and just two minutes remaining regulation... this happened:
It just doesn’t get bigger, or better, than that.
HOLTBY MOLY. TO SAVE THE GAME. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/jiaO2NxeeB
— NHL (@NHL) May 31, 2018
Oh my god Braden Holtby pic.twitter.com/xCR65Itcf7
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 31, 2018
AP photo of The Save from John Locher. pic.twitter.com/8tvpUiZdoj
— michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) May 31, 2018
There seemed to be a consensus that this was quite the save. From the fans, including those at (and around) a jam-packed Capital One Arena:
Holtby’s incredible save captured real time. Wow pic.twitter.com/e7KTjgo2QR
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) May 31, 2018
HOLTBY IS OUR KING pic.twitter.com/O36leHpaJ4
— Rave Sashayed (@_sashayed) May 31, 2018
80% of the earth is covered in water. The rest is covered by #Holtby. #ALLCAPS
— FerFer (@JennArndt) May 31, 2018
YER A WIZARD, HOLTBY #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/GnZEkY7i8A
— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) May 31, 2018
Braden Holtby’s president now. Them’s the rules. #ALLCAPS
— MAX DUCHAINE #ALLCAPS (@maxduchaine) May 31, 2018
What you have just witnessed, was the greatest save in the history of the Washington Capitals. Our lord and savior BRADEN. HOLTBY.
— Washington Ovechkins (@BuraGOATsky65) May 31, 2018
#Holtby pic.twitter.com/hYBEuBG9Ci
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 31, 2018
And from his teammates:
Backstrom when Holtby saves that shot: “Oh, no. Then oh, yes.”
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) May 31, 2018
Ovechkin’s reaction to Holtby’s save: “Thank God he’s our goalie.” Niskanen: “That’ll be on Sportscenter.”
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) May 31, 2018
Ovi showing Holtby some love after that win#ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/I4H8qAFfgI
— HockeyKot (@hockeykot) May 31, 2018
"Holts was our best player by far."@TJOshie77 spoke with @Jackie_Redmond after the @Capitals evened the series. #StanleyCup #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/PoVeuD0AbK
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) May 31, 2018
Jay Beagle on Braden Holtby’s last great save: “The save of the year....maybe the save of a lifetime.” #Caps
— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) May 31, 2018
“Once he made that save I knew we were going to win the game.” — #ALLCAPS Coach Barry Trotz on Braden Holtby’s miraculous stop on Alex Tuch late in Wednesday’s Game 2 victory. pic.twitter.com/xLInSYtzXw
— Tarik El-Bashir⌨️ (@TarikNBCS) May 31, 2018
And let’s go to Alex Ovechkin on the bench for a real-time reaction:
Ovechkin can't believe Holtby saved that. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/77k8csSAE7
— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) May 31, 2018
The goalie fraternity had some things to say about that one, to be sure:
Goalies around the world to Braden Holtby! pic.twitter.com/4ITNtHkyOC
— Chris Mason (@cmace30) May 31, 2018
That was incredible. Holtby. Wow!!
— Corey Hirsch (@CoreyHirsch) May 31, 2018
Even Holtby’s longtime mentor and coach, Caps’ legend Olie Kolzig, was impressed.
Greatest save I've ever seen!
— OlieKolzig (@OlieKolzig37) May 31, 2018
And the analysis post-game was similarly effusive:
So, yeah. Nice stop. But we’ll give the last word to the man himself:
Braden Holtby on the save heard 'round the world being heard 'round the world: "We have a goal in mind that will be a lot bigger than some save and social media."
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) May 31, 2018
Indeed.