How long have goalies lodged water bottles atop their cages — at least 20 years now? And during that time we’ve come to distinguish exceptional marksmanship principally by a shooter’s ability to dislodge a netminder’s water bottle from its perch.
But what do we think of a shooter who doesn’t merely displace a water bottle but all of the water in it as well? That’s precisely what Alexander Semin did during Wednesday night’s third period against Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
Have you seen any other NHLer pull that off, ever? Or any other hockey player for that matter?
If you pay close attention to the NHL’s video of the goal, you’ll notice a brief explosion of water behind Giggy right before the Verizon Center faithful realize that the Caps have scored again. I was seated way up high in the Phone Booth Wednesday night and noticed this extraordinary consequence of Semin’s sniping only from the high-def replays on the television screens overhead in the press box. I don’t remember a moment like it — certainly not from any other Capitals’ shooter, ever. Do you? Semin may have destroyed Giggy’s water bottle altogether. Doesn’t such a feat deserve a special designation? I kind of like The Single Bullet Theory, which can take out a whole lot.
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I noticed Giggy throw the bottle towards the bench after the goal and saw it was missing the top…. pure snipe!! I said i think semin may have destroyed that water bottle..
Giguere’s water bottle uses a straw. Perhaps that had something to do with it?
From section 400 I first thought the net ripped but it was water…
Higher degree of difficulty: scoring a goal then drinking out of the goalie’s water bottle. I’ve seen it done before, but not in a league that allows fighting.
Nice one, Hittman!
if you watch immediately after the goal (9 sec. mark), as backstrom starts to skate to semin for a high 5 you can see the straw from the water bottle land in the corner.
Precisely why my son’s club goalie doesn’t put a bottle on the net. No need to give the shooters the target.
Nice shot!
If memory serves, the first goalie to place a water bottle atop the cage routinely was the late great Pelle Lindbergh (Flyers) – 25 years ago.
From the stain on the ice afterward, I’d say it’s a Gatorade bottle, not water.
That… or Giguere wet himself.
If only we could trade Jose for Jiggy straight up.
When I first saw it from 413 I thought the explosion of water was the puck going over the net.