It is Awards Season in hockey and the Vegas Golden Knights feature heavily in the 2020 NHL Fan Choice Awards.
From Gif of the Year to Best Follow and Funniest Player, the Vegas Golden Knights are well represented in the Awards that are decided entirely by the fans.
While there are a bevy of worthy candidates, there is a clear winner in the Save of the Year category.
Marc-Andre Fleury‘s superhuman save against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 19, 2019.
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There is no other winner. Period.
Okay, we’re biased but even San Jose Sharks fans have to admit that Fleury’s heroic moment against the Leafs deserves proper recognition.
Let’s set the scene.
Holding a slender 3-2 lead late in the third period, the Maple Leafs entered the offensive zone with Ilya Mikheyev ripping a shot at Fleury.
With the play moving so quick, Toronto forward Nic Petan had seized control of the rebound and immediately threw a shot on goal with the net gaping.
It looked to be a certain goal, a game-tying one at that, but Fleury had other ideas as he somehow pulled off the unthinkable.
Displaying his elite reaction instincts, Fleury flew through the air and somehow snatched Petan’s shot out of the air with his glove.
It was a simply breathtaking play and a breathtaking moment.
And you can watch the save in its full spectacular glory below:
Not only was it a stunning stop, but it was a big save at a crucial period in the game and Fleury’s heroics allowed his team to ice the game and secure a big W.
The save itself epitomizes everything that is outstanding about Fleury’s game, from his elite reactions to his lightning-quick lateral movements and spectacular glove work.
There aren’t enough superlatives to really sum up what Fleury did at T-Mobile Arena in November of last year, and it should easily go down as Save of the Year.
Granted, Tuukka Rask‘s sublime blocker save for the Boston Bruins against the Buffalo Sabres is a worthy contender in that both goalies displayed superb reactions and athleticism.
YES @tuukkarask CAUGHT THAT WITH HIS BLOCKER!! 🤯😱 pic.twitter.com/xpi30MLsaC
— NHL (@NHL) November 22, 2019
The other contenders, Jonathan Quick and John Gibson, both belong on the list too but, again, Fleury’s heroic effort to absolutely rob Nic Petan deserves to be the winner.
And, the good news is that you as fans of the Golden Knights have the power to ensure that the right man wins in this instance.
All you have to do is go here and vote for Fleury in the Save of the Year category – easy!
While you are there, you can also put your time to good use by voting for the Golden Knights in a number of other categories, including Gif of the Year for the classic Expressive Mark Stone Gif and the Funniest Player which, not surprisingly, features Ryan Reaves.
We’ve listed the total list of categories the Golden Knights feature in:
- Gif of the Year
- Best Mascot
- Save of the Year
- Best Follow (Robin Lehner)
- Best Building
- Funniest Player (Ryan Reaves)
Reaves also deserves a lot of votes for the Funniest Player, as does Robin Lehner for the best Social Media follow but, without a doubt, Marc-Andre Fleury should be the clear winner in the Save of the Year category, so do your thing.
Happy Voting!