Drake Batherson had an open net. Yaroslav Askarov was out of position, facing the wrong way, with 18:04 gone in the second period and the San Jose Sharks three goals clear of the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Askarov threw himself backwards and got a glove on it.
The description San Jose Hockey Now landed on is the one doing the rounds: he didn’t just rob Batherson, he bankrupted him. Ottawa had the last 12 shots of that period and didn’t score on any of them.
Askarov’s own account of it was considerably less dramatic.
“That was a super-quick play,” he said without much fuss.
Ty Dellandrea managed slightly more.
“Unbelievable, unbelievable,” he said.
Yaroslav Askarov’s season to date:
| Starts | Record | Save % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before Thursday | 6 | 2-4-0 | .865 |
| Thursday | 1 | 1-0-0 | .953 |
How is Yaroslav Askarov playing this season?
Plenty of people in San Jose had started asking whether a goaltender with that much raw ability would ever turn it into something dependable. He arrived at the rink on Thursday having lost four straight in regulation, hadn’t won a game since October 3, and was carrying a 3.67 goals-against average with an .865 save percentage.
READ MORE: The Senators weren’t finished with the Panthers yet
He answered with 41 saves, a career high, beating the 39 he managed in an overtime loss to Edmonton in December 2024.
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky was in no doubt about who won the game.
“Thought our goaltender was great,” Warsofsky said. “We were under siege for the majority of that game. So I think he made some big saves at big times.”
The Sharks won 6-2, their first regulation victory of the season and their second win in a row, with Collin Graf and Jacob Trouba each contributing a goal and an assist.
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