Photo: Jared Silber
A few years ago, Dan Steinberg asked Joel Ward why his teammates call him The Big Cheese.
“Just the big guy on campus, you know?” Ward explained. “The Big Cheese, it’s like the king on the throne. I mean, the Cheese kind of holds everything together in here, you know?”
On Thursday night, Ward, playing on the first line again with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin, showed why he’s such a big deal. The winger scored with 1.3 seconds remaining in the third period after being marvelously set up by Alex Ovechkin. Ward also scored in game seven on Monday. He famously netted the series-ending goal in deciding game against the Boston Bruins two years ago.
The odd play went like this. Ovechkin carried the puck into the Rangers zone, one-on-four before turning it over. Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle gathered the loose puck before turning it over after being hit from behind by Nicklas Backstrom.
GIF: does he hit him in the numbers? not exactly pic.twitter.com/jXPsdBFFiY
— steph (@myregularface) May 1, 2015
A forechecking Ovechkin grabbed the biscuit and make a beautiful pass from behind the net to Ward. He does the rest.
LOLundqvist.
Here’s John Walton’s call of the goal.
According to the NHL, Ward is the third player in NHL playoff history to score a game-winning goal in last two seconds of the third period.
.@washcaps Ward is 3rd in NHL history to score GWG in last 0:02 of 3rd pd. in #StanleyCup Playoffs game. @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/smW82ZGYPy
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 1, 2015
There was drama though. Several Rangers, including head coach Alain Vigneault, thought Backstrom’s hit was illegal. Vigneault screamed at officials before the Rangers retreated to the locker room.
“It was a hit, there was a couple mistakes after that and the puck ended up in the back of our net,” Vigneault said. “I’m not going to comment on the referring. Don’t ask me about it. Ask me anything else, but don’t ask me about that.”
Nicky defended himself after the game.
Backstrom on his hit: "In the playoffs you've got to finish checks. That's what I tried to do." Felt it was clean.
— Alex Prewitt (@alex_prewitt) May 1, 2015
Joel Ward just made jokes.
Ward on Ovechkin's goal: "I thought it was average."
— Alex Prewitt (@alex_prewitt) May 1, 2015
.@ChuckGormleyCSN: "What's Russian for, 'I'm open'?"
Joel Ward: "Ovi!"
— Zac Boyer (@ZacBoyer) May 1, 2015
Ward on Backstrom: "Everyone asks every day about Nicky, and I think he’s got to speak up for himself and tell everybody he’s the greatest."
— Zac Boyer (@ZacBoyer) May 1, 2015
Ward didn't know the puck went in, let alone that it beat the buzzer. Saw teammates celebrating, joined in.
— Alex Prewitt (@alex_prewitt) May 1, 2015
This team, man.
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) May 1, 2015
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