EDMONTON, AB - A simple wrist shot from the top of the zone in the final moments of a 7-3 hockey game will go down as the biggest save that 25-year-old goaltender Matt Berlin has ever made in his life.
He's made a lot nicer stops over his career in the WHL, AJHL and now USports with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, but this relatively routine save on Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Caleb Jones with 48 seconds remaining has the special distinction of having come in the final minutes of a regular-season National Hockey League game for the Edmonton Oilers.
"I think it was actually maybe missing the net," Berlin said after the game to CBC's Scott Oake on Hockey Night in Canada. "Or maybe not. I don't know. But the guys did a great job boxing out there."
The Oilers emergency backup goaltender (EBUG) mentioned how he wasn't sure if he wanted to face any shots, but it was a crazy, unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Edmonton product who could never have imagined waking up on Saturday that he'd be making a save in his NHL debut later that night in the final 2:26 of Edmonton's rousing four-goal victory over Chicago.
But here we are, and it was every bit of amazing as you'd imagine.
"The whole day was a whirlwind, but the finish to the day was unbelievable," Berlin added post-game from the Oilers locker room. "It's a special moment I'll never forget for the rest of my life."
FEATURE: Berlin makes his biggest save in Oilers EBUG appearance
The U of A netminder lived out a dream of playing in the NHL and making a save in the final 2:26 of Saturday's win over Chicago as Edmonton's emergency backup