New York Rangers Year in Review: Top Five Saves of 2016

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Next in our “Year in Review” series, we take a look at the best saves the New York Rangers made in the 2016 calendar year.

2016 was a very strange year for the New York Rangers. It has been filled with plenty of unforgettable highs and unforgettable lows, streaks, injuries and just overall weird hockey.

Oddly enough, the goaltending, which statistically was worse over this calendar year than it has since Henrik Lundqvist became the full-time starter in 2005-2006 may have produced some of the best saves that the team’s netminders have managed to put together at any other point in time.

So right here, right now, sit back and enjoy the top five saves of the 2016 New York Rangers calendar year.

Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

5. J.T. Miller makes a flurry of saves to help Lundqvist

Oddly enough, our top five starts with a non-goalie making a save. After Miller turned the puck over in his own zone, the Hurricanes got the puck to the net, forcing Lundqvist to go down to make the save.

The rebound bounced out in between the circles, where Miller and Nick Holden got down and kicked the puck out of the way. That is what we call redeeming yourself.

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4. Raanta Stick Save Against Washington

The reason this save is only ranked number four is because there was a significant bit of luck involved here. Mike Richards got deflected a shot in front of the net which was going a bit wide. He got his stick in there and poked it towards the crease.

As it’s about to go in, Raanta tips the puck and it goes out of the crease the other way. Raanta was lucky that the deflection and the shot after weren’t (A lifted or (B shot from somebody not as bad as Mike Richards.

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Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

3. Raanta Stops his Former Team

Playing in his old stomping grounds against his former team, Antti Raanta was tremendous. On December 9, 2016, Raanta pitched a shutout against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.

Raanta made so many terrific saves in the game that we could not narrow it down to only one of them. Instead, watch the video for three outstanding saves. The Rangers won the game 1-0, so the stops were even more vital to the win.

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2. Lundqvist kicks skate out to stop a Maxim Talbot Shot

After a nice dump in by the Bruins of the rush, the puck deflected on to Zac Rinaldo’s stick. Rinaldo shot the puck, causing Lundqvist to make a tough save through a screen.

The shot sent Lundqvist down to the ice and out of position and created a heavy rebound which found the stick of Maxim Talbot out in front. Lundqvist was flopping around on the ice like a fish out of water, but somehow managed to get his skate up high enough to block the shot.

Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

1. Lundqvist sprawling stick save on Tyler Johnson

On a list of great saves, this one has to take the cake. The Tampa Bay Lightning had a bad power play overall last season, ranking 28th in the league. With the talent on their units, though, that should not be the case.

The Rangers penalty kill was just as bad last season, ranking 26th in the league. And boy did they look clueless on this one.

After a pass from the boards reached former Rangers Brian Boyle in front, he spun around, delivering Tyler Johnson a backhand pass.

As is usually the case with Brian Boyle, his pass was way off. Johnson reached out for the puck and fired it. His shot managed to find Lundqvist’s stick as he dove out of his net to rob him. His face in the still frame above really tells you all you need to know about that one.