The Associated Press

Nikolai Khabibulin wakes up in Yekaterinburg to watch NHL playoff highlights and beams with pride at the saves made by so many Russian goaltenders. Sixteen years after Khabibulin became the first Russian goalie to win the Stanley Cup, Anton Khudobin of the Dallas Stars, Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Semyon Varlamov of the New York Islanders are following his lead and showcasing the country's strength between the pipes throughout multiple generations. ''It's actually quite interesting to experience this because it has never happened before,'' Khabibulin said.