Top Moments of the 2019-20 Regular Season: No. 2

With the 2019-20 regular season officially over, Hurricanes.com is counting down the top 10 moments from the last year, presented by Storm Brew from our friends at R&D Brewing.

Previous Top Moments: 10. Ward Retires, Sounds Warning Siren | 9. Geekie Shines in First Two NHL Games | 8. Canes Bolster Lineup on Deadline Day | 7. Hamilton Scores from the Red Line | 6. Slavin Wins Accuracy Shooting at NHL All-Star Skills | 5. Aho Records Career-Long 14-Game Point Streak | 4. Staal Named Team Captain | 3. Williams Returns in Dramatic Fashion

2. EBUG David Ayres helps Canes defeat Maple Leafs

The United States triumphed over Soviet Union in the Winter Olympics on Feb. 22, 1980, an iconic sports achievement commonly known as the Miracle on Ice.

Exactly 40 years later and some 300-odd miles west of Lake Placid, another unforgettable moment played out on a hockey rink in Toronto.

At 42 years of age, Ayres was being interviewed on national television with the ever-recognizable Hockey Night in Canada towel draped around his neck. In emergency backup relief, he had just recorded eight saves, the win and first-star honors in his National Hockey League debut with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Yes, that happened.

"Right now, it's kind of hard to put into words," Ayres said after the game.

READ: THE LEGEND OF DAVE AYRES

By now, you're familiar with the story. James Reimer and Petr Mrazek both left the game with injuries, and by that point, there was still a period and a half left to play.

Cue Ayres, who skated onto the ice with a No. 90 white Canes sweater, which clashed against his blue and white gear.

The first two shots Ayres saw - one off the stick of John Tavares and another that bounced around in front of the net - beat him, and the Canes' three-goal lead was now just a one-goal advantage.

Ayres got a confidence boost late in the second period when he recorded his first official NHL save against the player who ranked second in the league in goals - Auston Matthews.

"I was nervous for the whole second period, as you could tell. I couldn't stop a puck if I had to in the second," Ayres laughed. "I told the boys, 'When I come out in the third, I'll be ready to go.'"

Warren Foegele potted his second goal of the game early in the second period to give the Canes some breathing room. From there, the team suffocated any attack the Maple Leafs tried to mount. Toronto managed just seven shots on goal in the third period, and Ayres stopped them all.

As the clock hit zero, Ayres snared a game puck in his glove. That one was a keeper. The oldest goaltender in NHL History to win his debut was mobbed in the crease by the Canes.

The celebration continued in the locker room.

"That's pretty special. I told the guys after the game, I thanked them because that just gave me an incredible memory," Rod Brind'Amour said after the game. "Just the way that game unfolded, how hard we were playing and then to have that happen. You kind of think, oh well. How is this going to end up? We just dug in and said we're not going to lose this game. For him, what a moment he'll have for the rest of his life. That's incredible. That's why you do this."

Video: CAR@TOR: Ayres makes history as emergency backup

Ayres was then swept up in a whirlwind media tour, thrust into an international spotlight. He handled the sudden attention with the upmost grace and humility, and as someone who received a kidney transplant from his mother in 2004, he Video: CAR@TOR: Ayres makes history as emergency backup.

"There's always someone there to help you. There's always someone there that's going to support you," Ayres said. "There's always a way for you to get to where you want to be and even beyond."

Ayres' EBUG triumph won the Video: CAR@TOR: Ayres makes history as emergency backup and was crowned the winner of the Video: CAR@TOR: Ayres makes history as emergency backup fan vote.