Hockey is not a game of inches. It's a game of centimeters. And for one play during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Second Round between the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes, it was a game of millimeters.
Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook made one of the most ridiculous goal-saving plays you will ever see during the second period of Thursday night's game.
With a little over six minutes to play in the period, Martinook trailed Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren on a breakaway.
Lindgren got off a clean shot that trickled through the five-hole of Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen. As the puck, which Andersen seemingly nicked with his right pad to slow it down just enough, was still sliding toward the net behind him.
Luckily for the Hurricanes, Martinook was also sliding.
Having laid out in an attempt to defend Lindgren, Martinook was in full slide as the puck approached the goal line. Somehow, some way, Martinook was able to extend his stick and corral the puck literal millimeters before it crossed the goal line completely.
Martinook's stunning, goal-saving stop was a perfect example of the good that can happen when you never give up on a play.
