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Predators prospect pulls out hilarious celebration following 45-save win
The 20-year-old is 16-9-5 with a 2.60 GAA and a .909 save percentage with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals this season.
Gains season is always in session for the Milwaukee Admirals and Yaroslav Askarov.
The Nashville Predators top prospect put on a netminding clinic Friday night as the Admirals stonewalled the Rockford Icehogs 2-1 in a shootout win behind Askarov’s 45-save performance.
While pucks were flying at the netminder fast and furious all evening, the Omsk native was up to the task, keeping the Admirals in it and helping them steal the two points. Most impressive from Askarov, however, may have been his post-game celly, which caught the hockey world’s attention.
Yaroslav Askarov gets a few reps in after a 45-save shootout victory 🤣 pic.twitter.com/rgvcWLe4ZK
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) February 11, 2023
The form? Magnificent.
The "cojones?" Undeniable.
Askarov was dialled in from the get-go, including a stellar 2-on-1 save off a rebound that required quick reflexes and an even quicker recovery to frustrate the opposition.
A solid Save of the Game ft. Yaroslav Askarov. #MILhockey | @LandmarkCU pic.twitter.com/jyuP4HsBN8
— Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) February 11, 2023
Former superstar netminder Roberto Luongo joined in on the fun on Twitter, sarcastically scolding Askarov for not exercising caution during his on-ice workout.
This is the most irresponsible thing I’ve ever seen….
Dude needs to use a spotter next time https://t.co/lJmNJnnQtX— Strombone (@strombone1) February 11, 2023
While the Icehogs did eventually solve the Predators' 2020 first-round pick, robbing him of a third shutout of the season that would’ve pushed him into a tie for second in the AHL, his pristine .978 save percentage on the affair did earn him first-star honours for the evening.
The game also marks a third-straight strong showing for Askarov, who has had an uneven rookie AHL season coming over from the KHL. The 20-year-old has allowed just one goal in each of those games, stopping 94 of 97 shots for a .969 save percentage.
Askarov has long been considered one of the most impressive young goalies to come out of Russia — his age-18 KHL save percentage of .951 ranks third all-time amongst goalies with a minimum of five games played, ahead of names like Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin — and seems likely to eventually usurp Juuse Saros as the Predators goaltender of the future. That time may be a ways away, however, as his NHL debut with Nashville earlier this season did not go as planned, allowing four goals on 35 shots in a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in January.
This season in the AHL, Askarov is 16-9-5 with a 2.60 GAA and a .909 save percentage.
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