Friday night gave us some outstanding goaltending efforts across the National Hockey League. We have our first 10-game winner of the season and a team desperate for a victory got a huge performance out of their netminder. Later tonight, a youngster will make his NHL debut. Plus, Nov. 16 has seen a lot of goaltending history and we will look at some of the bigger moments.
Price the First to Hang 10
The Washington Capitals were the hottest team in the NHL heading into Friday night. They walked into the Capital One Arena on a 13-game point streak, but the Montreal Canadiens were more than happy to put an end to it.
Tomas Tartar had a huge night with a goal and three assists in the Canadiens 5-2 victory. Goaltender Carey Price made 26 saves to pick up his 10th victory of the season, becoming the first goaltender in the league to hit double digits in wins.
This is not a feat Price is unfamiliar with as this is the third time, in his career, he has been the first goaltender to win 10 games. He joins a pretty impressive list, that includes Hall of Famers like Terry Sawchuck and Jacques Plante, to accomplish this at least three times.
The Canadiens All-Star goaltender is now 10-4-2 with a 2.61 goals-against average (GAA), .917 save percentage (SV%) and one shutout.
Blackwood is the Man in New Jersey
The New Jersey Devils have been one of the biggest disappointments of the 2019-20 season, so far. With the additions of players like P.K. Subban, Nikita Gusev and number-one overall pick Jack Hughes, many felt the Devils would return to the playoffs. However, 18 games into the season, they are tied for the fewest points in the Eastern Conference.
One of the biggest factors to the early-season struggles in New Jersey has been the goaltending. The Devils have been giving up 3.50 goals per game and have been having major problems holding onto third-period leads.
Goaltending was not an issue on Friday night as they took advantage of a Pittsburgh Penguins team playing without their superstar, Sidney Crosby. Mackenzie Blackwood made 38 saves in a 2-1 win; the Devils first victory on home ice since Oct. 19.
The Devils have won six games this season. Blackwood was the goalie in all six of those games.
Rookie to Make Debut Saturday Night
Speaking of the Penguins, they will be back on home ice tonight to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen started for the Maple Leafs in their 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Friday night. After the game, head coach Mike Babcock announced that Kasimir Kaskisuo will make his NHL debut in Pittsburgh.
Kakisuo was recalled by the Maple Leafs earlier this week after they waived Michael Hutchinson. He is 6-1-1 with a 2.13 GAA and .928 SV% for the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League this season.
Nov. 16 in Goaltending History
Today has seen a lot of goaltending history throughout the years going all the way back to 1926. On Nov. 16, 1926, the New York Rangers played in their first-ever NHL game and beat the Montreal Maroons 1-0. Hal Winkler became the first goaltender in NHL history to record a shutout in his first career game. On that same night future Hall of Famer, George Hainsworth made his first-ever NHL appearance for the Canadiens in a 4-1 loss to the Bruins.
Exactly 20 years later, one of the largest crowds in NHL history, at the time, filed into the Maple Leafs Garden to watch Toronto host the Canadiens. The 16,315 fans saw Turk Broda pick up his 34th career shutout in a 3-0 win. On Nov. 16, 1949, Broda became the 9th goaltender in NHL history to record 50 career shutouts as the Maple Leafs won 1-0 over the visiting Canadiens. He finished his Hall of Fame career with 61 shutouts.
On Nov. 16, 1952, Harry Lumley became the ninth goaltender in the NHL to record 200 career victories as the Maple Leafs beat the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Lumley would win another 130 games before retiring in 1960.
Phil Myre earned his second career shutout in the Atlanta Flames’ 4-0 win over the visiting New York Islanders on Nov. 16, 1972. It was the first shutout in Flames’ history and came in their 19th NHL game.
Hall of Famer Rogie Vachon loved playing on Nov. 16. In 1970, then playing with the Detroit Red Wings, Vachon became the eighth goaltender in NHL history to record 300 career victories with a 4-2 win over the Capitals. Exactly 365 days later, he became the 17th goaltender in NHL history to record 50 career shutouts, his first with the Bruins, in 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Greg Boysen has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks since 2010 and has been a site manager for both FanSided and SB Nation. He has been published in The Hockey News and was fully credentialed for the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. Among his various roles with The Hockey Writers are covering the Blackhawks, the AHL, writing the daily “Today in Hockey History” column, serving as a copy editor, and appearing and hosting multiple YouTube shows, including Blackhawks Banter. He is credentialed with the Chicago Wolves, Rockford IceHogs, and Milwaukee Admirals, while also being a regional scout for the NAHL. And, just because his plate isn’t full enough, Greg hosts trivia in the Chicago area two nights a week. For interview requests or to provide topic suggestions, follow Greg on Twitter and reach out.
