1. Dan Hamhuis Denied By A Diving Niemi
There seems to be a correlation between Antti Niemi’s best moments/good performances and the early parts of the season.
His number one moment in his time with Dallas came in November of 2015 on Black Friday. The Dallas Stars were on an incredible tear, hoisting a record of 17-5-0. They had lost their most recent game to the Ottawa Senators three days before, but were in the midst of starting something very special.
The Vancouver Canucks came to town and were carrying a whole mass of problems with them. They owned a record of 9-8-6 and were quickly slowly sinking to the bottom of the Western Conference (which is where they would end up by the season’s end).
But Vancouver brought a certain swagger with them to Dallas that made the game an interesting one. Maybe the Stars were still in the midst of a Thanksgiving hangover, or maybe the Canucks just came ready to play. Either way, this game had some sparks.
The Stars did not have the prettiest game defensively, giving up 36 shots in a 65-minute span. Luckily, they had the talents of Antti Niemi to back them up.
After trading goals back and forth in the first three periods, the Stars and Canucks entered overtime. And that’s when it happened.
No one knows quite why it had to happen, but the fact that it did is hilarious (mainly because he made the save and kept Dallas in it). Isn’t it funny how a mere eight months later, these two would be teammates?
The Stars went on to win the game 3-2 in the shootout with Niemi stopping all three shooters that he faced. In the game, Niemi stopped 34-36 for a .944 save percentage and helped Dallas hop into sole control of second place in the NHL standings.
Next: Stars Must Not Let Offseason Success Get To Them
It may not have been the prettiest stop in his career, but it had some classic moments, and we’ll have them forever. Niemi was an enjoyable member to have around the last two seasons and had a great personality both on and off the ice.
Enjoy Pittsburgh, Antti.