As we get back to the grind of the work week, the “Goalie News” will take a look back at a goaltender duel in Winnipeg, a fantastic week in Buffalo, one heck of a save and a historic shutout.
Hellebuyck, Smith Duke it Out
When you think of the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets, the first thing that should come to mind is their respective firepower. With players like Kyle Conner, Leon Draisaitl, Patrik Laine and Connor McDavid on the ice you’d expect a high-scoring affair. That wasn’t the case on Sunday net as it was Connor Hellebuyck and Mike Smith who stole the show.
Hellebuyck made 28 saves, while Smith stopped all 23 shots he saw in regulation and overtime to send the game to a shootout tied at 0-0. Things did not go so well for Smith in the shootout as both Connor and Laine scored on him, while Hellebuyck prevented Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid from scoring.
“Both teams were fighting for air out there,” Smith said after the game. “It was a tight game. It was a hard game. Not a lot of room, but I thought we stuck with it. You get to overtime, anything can happen, and obviously a shootout also. I think we’re happy with the point, but obviously you want more.”
The shutout was Hellebuyck’s first of the season and 15th of his career and it gave head coach Paul Maurice his 700th career coaching win.
Hutton’s Big Week is Honored
Carter Hutton is proof that some goaltenders need plenty of time before they finally hit their peak. Hutton spent years bouncing around the AHL and being a backup with the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues before finally getting his shot at being a full-time starter.
Last season, he appeared in a career-high 50 games for the Buffalo Sabres. The 33-year-old netminder is a huge reason why the Sabres are off to a great start and sitting atop the Eastern Conference with 15 points.
Hutton made two starts this past week and stopped all 72 shots he faced. He earned his 12th career shutout with a 25-save performance in 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars on Oct. 14. Three nights later he set a franchise record for saves in a regular-season shutout with 47 in 3-0 blanking of the Los Angeles Kings. He had to make 19 saves alone in the third period.
The NHL named Hutton their Third Star of the Week on Monday. He has posted a 1.40 goals-against average (GAA) and a .953 save percentage (SV%) through his first five starts of the season.
Kinkaid Commits Grand Larceny
During the NHL’s opening weekend, Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild made one of the best saves you are going to see all season. On Sunday, Dubnyk and the Wild watched Montreal Canadiens backup goaltender Keith Kinkaid make nearly an identical save.
Jason Zucker got the puck at the bottom of the right circle and though he had his second goal of the game on his stick. Kinkaid had different ideas and he made a tumbling glove save that wowed everyone in the building, including Carey Price on the Canadiens bench.
Hogosta’s Historic Anniversary
Swedish-born goaltender Goran Hogosta is not exactly what you would call a household name among hockey fans. However, he is a very important player in Quebec Nordiques and Colorado Avalanche history for what he accomplished 40 years ago today.
It was on this in 1979 when Hogosta stopped all 21 shots he faced from the Chicago Blackhawks picking up the first shutout in franchise history. It was also the first and only shutout of his 22-game NHL career. Robbie Ftorek had the game-winning goal early in the second period before Rich LeDuc added both a shorthanded and power-play goal to cap off the scoring.
Patrick Roy is the franchise’s all-time leader in shutouts, with 37, all coming with the Avalanche. Mario Gosselin had the most shutouts in a Nordiques uniform with five.
