Greatest Moments of the NHL Season … So Far reaches final

David Ayres and Pekka Rinne each did something spectacular this season, and now the goalies are going head-to-head in the final of Greatest Moments of the NHL Season … So Far.

Ayres became the first emergency backup goalie to win an NHL game when he helped the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Feb. 22. His moment reached the final matchup by defeating Hurricanes teammate Andrei Svechnikov's lacrosse-style goal in the semifinal round Tuesday.

Rinne's goal for the Nashville Predators against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 9 reached the final by defeating Marc-Andre Fleury's sprawling save for the Vegas Golden Knights in the first semifinal Monday.

"It's an honor to make it this far. I can't thank the fans enough," Ayres said Wednesday. "Two goalies too.

"Pekka Rinne has been one of my favorite goalies over the past 8-10 years after Marc-Andre Fleury. Now we're in the final for different reasons: me getting into a game and stopping pucks, him for scoring a goal. And he did it by shooting from behind his own goal line. That's really tough. Here's something people forget, though: I had a shot on goal in the game I played too. There was a big difference though. Mine was banked off the boards. And it didn't go in."

Fans can vote on Twitter and Instagram from noon ET Wednesday until 10 a.m. on Thursday. The winner will be announced Thursday.

Though fans will have the ultimate say, NHL.com staff members have cast their vote for which moment should prevail, with Ayres winning 19-0.

Here is what some of the voters had to say about their pick:

"There aren't many things that beat a goalie goal, but an emergency goalie playing in an NHL game more than a decade after a kidney transplant does." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

"Ayres' relief appearance was one of those moments that transcended the sport and overshadowed Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin scoring his 700th NHL goal earlier in the day. It was also a season highlight for the Hurricanes because of the way they rallied around him to win that game." -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

"In my opinion Ayres, the 42-year-old emergency backup, is the inspirational story of the year. He earns my vote based on the fact a feat of this magnitude may never again be duplicated." -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

"It's nice to see two goalies going head-to-head in the final matchup. I love goalie goals, but what Ayres did had never been done and may not ever be done again in the NHL, making him the winner." -- David Satriano, staff writer

"When Ayres stepped on the ice in his hometown of Toronto and defeated the Maple Leafs as an EBUG, you just knew it was the moment of the NHL season and a lifetime. You couldn't have scripted it any better." -- Pete Jensen, senior fantasy editor

"This is the closest one so far but I'm still going with Ayres. Goalie goals are tremendous, and rare, but the energy experienced around the League after Ayres' victory is unmatched."-- Rob Reese, fantasy editor

"Goalies score goals every now and then. What Ayres did will be talked about for decades because it's a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment." -- John Kreiser, managing editor

"Goalie goals are rare. EBUG wins are rarer."-- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

"I think Ayres' achievement has been the front-runner for this honor from the very start. It was a perfect set of circumstances that led to the 42-year-old EBUG becoming the ultimate overnight sensation, based on how many live TV cameras he went in front of the next morning. Not just a great NHL moment, but a great human-interest moment." -- Barry Rubinstein, manager, assignments

"I vote for Ayres. Absolutely the best moment in the NHL in 2019-20 and among the greatest in League history. Ayres fulfilled every fan's fantasy of being a normal Joe (or David), coming into the game and winning it."-- William Douglas, staff writer