When Thomas Greiss was put on the IR in mid-February, there was still hope for the New York Islanders season. Enter Christopher Gibson to save the day, stepping into the role of backup goalie behind the starter, Jaroslav Halak.
Fans had already seen some of what Gibson could do after his heroics in the 2015-2016 season when he started against Washington Capitals and put on a surprisingly good show. He led the team to victory that night, clinching a playoff berth.
This year, Gibson was given a larger role to play. Starting twice the amount of games he played in 2016, he was a sufficient stand-in for Thomas Greiss, possibly playing better than the German net minder at times.