1. Gary Balentine 67
Bryan McCready 67
Daryl Turner 67
4. Tom Mascioli 64
5. Gilles Carmel 63
6. Colin Buehler-Buchan 40
7. Steven Paris 32
8. Chris Polehoykie 30
9. Bill Clare 20
10. Corby Gilmore 18
TWO-POINT QUESTION: Among active goaltenders, name the one who has
been voted the winner of the Vezina Trophy the greatest number of
times.
CORRECT ANSWER: With five (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999) to his
credit, the Sabres' Dominik Hasek is the
active leader. Patrick Roy (three) is
second.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: This Hall-of-Fame netminder was known by
(primarily) two nicknames over the course of his career; the lesser-known
of the two was the "Silent Habitant". Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Georges Vezina,
better known as the "Chicoutimi Cucumber".
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: Unfortunately, this National Hockey League
goaltender is best known for an incident involving St. Louis Blues' winger
Steve Tuttle and Buffalo Sabres' defenseman Uwe Krupp. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Krupp upended Tuttle in the Buffalo goalmouth
during a game on March 22, 1989, with the wing's skate landed on the neck
of Sabre goaltender Clint Malarchuk.
Fortunately for Malarchuk, he survived the incident, although he probably
would not have had he not been at an NHL facility; I remember a quote
saying that he probably would not have survived had he been at the other
end of the ice! Bill Clare painted a vivid canvas for me, including the
memory of replacement goaltender Jacques
Cloutier trying, and failing, to clean the ice from the front of the
net.
BONUS QUESTION: The Montreal Canadiens are legendary for their
incredible succession of star goaltenders, many of whom gained that status
by leading the Habs to a Stanley Cup title. Among all goaltenders who did
not lead Montreal to a Cup (as a #1 goaltender), name the one who played
the greatest number of regular-season games for the team.
CORRECT ANSWER: I accepted two possible answers here. I was
looking for Wilf Cude, who played 220 games
for the Canadiens, mostly in the late 1930s, without winning a Cup in any
capacity. However, Charlie Hodge, who
shared time (with Gump Worsley) in the
Habs' 1965 Cup run, played 237 games for Montreal. So, it all depends on
your definition of "#1 goaltender", doesn't it?
TWO-POINT QUESTION: Last week, I asked whom, amongst active
goaltenders, had been voted the Vezina Trophy the greatest number of
times. Now, I'll ask the same question, only considering all NHL
goaltenders: who has been voted the Vezina Trophy the greatest number of
times?
CORRECT ANSWER: Since voting on the Vezina began in 1981-82
(before that time, it was awarded to the goaltender(s) on the team
allowing the fewest number of regular-season goals), the Sabres' Dominik Hasek is the leader with five.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: On April 4, 1953, this future Hall-of-Famer
made his postseason debut, recording a shutout. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: In a game in Chicago, against the Black Hawks,
Jacques Plante netted a 3-0 blanking of
the home team. The Canadiens, primarily led by Gerry McNeil between the
pipes, went on to win the Stanley Cup that spring.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: Name the goaltender who recorded the first
regular-season victory for the NHL Colorado Rockies.
CORRECT ANSWER: On October 5, 1976, Doug Favell stopped thirty-nine of forty-one
Toronto Maple Leaf (his former team) shots, and his newly-minted Colorado
Rockies won their first game, 4-2.
BONUS QUESTION: Between 1978 and 1983, this goaltender recorded
forty-five consecutive games without a loss in the annual World
Championship tournament. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Vladislav
Tretiak, the great Russian goaltender, led his juggernaut Soviet Union
team to five consecutive World Championships. Missing in that span, of
course, is a gold medal from the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, although
Tretiak has three other Olympic golds to his name.
TWO-POINT QUESTION: This current goaltender, a sure bet for Hall of
Fame induction when he decides to hang up his skates, is highly
superstitious; the best known of these is that he will not skate over the
painted red and blue lines on the ice. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Patrick Roy,
certainly a spokesman for superstitious goaltenders everywhere, who also
lends credence to the thought that weird goalies are good goalies.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: Although not eligible for the Calder Trophy,
first-year goaltender Roman Cechmanek
has a very good chance at leading the league in shutouts. Who was the
last first-year goaltender to lead the National Hockey League in
shutouts?
CORRECT ANSWER: I took two possibilities here. The last
Calder-eligible goaltender to lead the league in blankings was Chicago's
Tony Esposito, who had fifteen shutouts
in 1969-70. Although it wasn't what I specifically wanted, the last
"true" rookie (never played in the league previously) to lead the league
in shutouts was Toronto's Frank "Ulcers"
McCool, who had four in 1944-45.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: Eighteen years after his last appearance in a
National Hockey League net, this assistant trainer recorded twenty minutes
of shutout hockey as an injury replacement. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Chicago trainer Moe
Roberts, who had played a total of nine NHL games in the late
1920's/early 1930's, found himself in the Black Hawk net on November 25,
1951, after Harry Lumley had to leave the
contest. In a 5-2 loss, Roberts shut out the visiting Red Wings for the
third period.
BONUS QUESTION: In 1997-98, New Jersey's Martin Brodeur recorded an impressive ten
shutouts, yet did not lead the league, as Buffalo's Dominik Hasek totalled thirteen
whitewashings. Who holds the National Hockey League record for most
single-season shutouts *without* leading the league?
CORRECT ANSWER: Five goaltenders have totalled thirteen shutouts
without leading the league: Clint Benedict
(1926-27), Alex Connell (1926-27),
George Hainsworth (1927-28), John Ross Roach (1928-29) and Roy Worters (1928-29). Four of the five
are enshrined in Hockey's Hall of Fame.
TWO-POINT QUESTION: This goaltender, who spent time last week on a
National Hockey League roster, had a father who played parts of two
decades in the big leagues. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: I was looking for Phillipe Sauve, called up
after Colorado starter Patrick Roy
left a game with tendinitis in his knee, but Boston's John Grahame would be a
technically-correct answer as well.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: In the past week, a goaltender became
the first player in the history of the West Coast Hockey League to be
recalled to the National Hockey League in the same season. Name
him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Chad Alban, who spent most of his season
with the Idaho Steelheads, was one of the top netminders in the WCHL.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: Amongst goaltenders, name the National
Hockey League's all-time (regular season) scoring leader.
CORRECT ANSWER: Tom
Barrasso, last with the Ottawa Senators, has zero goals and 48
assists for a total of 48 points. A close second is Grant Fuhr (46 points).
BONUS QUESTION: Ignoring goaltenders who have played
professionally this (2000-01) season, name the last goaltender to earn a
win in the only National Hockey League game of his career.
CORRECT ANSWER: What a mess - I had thought that the answer was
Mike Rosati, who won his only
National Hockey League appearance for the Capitals in 1998-99. However,
he *is* playing professionally with Adler Mannheim of the German league.
Therefore, the correct answer is Chicago Blackhawk Ray LeBlanc ("U.S.A.! U.S.A.!"), who
played in (and won) one contest for the 'Hawks in 1991-92.