Neuvirth Goes Crazy Good to Save a Flyers Victory

Sometimes, Play of the Day segments on highlight shows don't do justice to the name.

They exist because lists are popular, but the reality is most of the fare is what one would expect from highly-paid professionals.

But there are occasions where the feat lives up to its billing.

And here's one of them:

The Philadelphia Flyers are three points out of a playoff spot, so their margin for error is already slim and none. And Slim left town. The last thing they could do against the Minnesota Wild, then, was potentially toss the extra point for a victory back on the table by going into overtime.

So, for them, backup goalie Michael Neuvirth picked an opportune moment to go into incredible mode:

The Swiss have a reputation for saving, but Neuvirth took it to a new level with that one.

Hockey players are characteristically quite conservative before thrusting their sticks in the air, which in this case serves as a strong indicator as to how miraculous Neuvirth's acrobatic act was.

Dude also left a few raised arms hanging prematurely a couple of seasons ago when he tended goal for Buffalo:

Kinda obvious who he's got as a role model:

Goalies are crazy by definition, anyway, just because they chose to be goalies.

But sometimes, when the chips are down, some of the stuff they can do goes beyond crazy. Those become real plays of the day, and who knows? This one might even become a season saver.