APRIL 2002 TOP TEN

1.  Scott Bennett           40
2.  Bryan McCready          35
    Neil Robinson           35
4.  Glenn Black             30
    K. Patrick Laffin       30
6.  Gary Balentine          25
    Donny Daubanton         25
8.  Jason Kurylo            20
9.  Dan Fisher              18
10. Jeff Smith              17
GOALTENDER TRIVIA YEAR EIGHT WEEK TWENTY (Answers due 10pm MST 04/07/02):

TWO-POINT QUESTION: Today Sean Burke became the third goaltender to win the National Hockey League's Player of the Month award this (2001-02) season. Name the other two.
CORRECT ANSWER: The Islanders' Chris Osgood (October) and the Sharks' Evgeni Nabokov (February).

THREE-POINT QUESTION: Patrick Roy's incident over the weekend earned him the lead in goaltender penalty minutes for the season, with 26 (28 by some accounts - although, since they awarded a penalty shot when he threw his stick, he should not also receive two penalty minutes). This total is by no means anywhere near the record for NHL single-season penalty minutes by a goaltender. Who holds this record?
CORRECT ANSWER: With a grand total of 113 penalty minutes, the Flyers' Ron Hextall set this mark in his third National Hockey League season (1988-89). In each of his first three seasons, Ron topped 100 minutes in penalties.

FIVE-POINT QUESTION: On April 9, 1993, the Pittsburgh Penguins broke a National Hockey League record, earning their sixteenth consecutive win. Tom Barrasso received the "win"; who received the "loss" in the game?
CORRECT ANSWER: Twenty-one year-old Corey Hirsch, in his final start for the Rangers, had to fend off the two-time defending Cup champion Penguins, and he didn't fare well. Hirsch gave up five goals on twenty-five shots through two periods, before Mike Richter spelled him. The Rangers lost by a 10-4 score, giving up five goals (three by Hirsch) to Mario Lemieux - who would come from behind to win the Ross Trophy that year.

BONUS QUESTION: Amongst goaltenders that played during the National Hockey League's "Original Six" years, who was the last to suit up in an official NHL game?
CORRECT ANSWER: Rogie Vachon, who started his career the season before expansion with the Montreal Canadiens, spent the majority of his career with the Los Angeles Kings, but held on until 1981-82 with the Bruins.

PICTORAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in this picture:

CORRECT ANSWER: Mike Fountain, with the American Hockey League Hamilton Canucks. Fountain is probably best-known for recording a forty-save shutout in his National Hockey League debut.

GOALTENDER TRIVIA YEAR EIGHT WEEK TWENTY-ONE (Answers due 10pm MST 04/21/02):

TWO-POINT QUESTION: In last Sunday's Chicago-Columbus game, all four dressed netminders were drafted by the same organization. Name the organization.
CORRECT ANSWER: All four were selected by the Quebec Nordiques / Colorado Avalanche organization. Brent Johnson (not pictured) was also an Avalanche selection, back in 1995 (same draft as Marc Denis - yet another Colorado pick).

THREE-POINT QUESTION: Including two neutral-site games, the expansion Ottawa Senators (1992-93) won just one game away from their friendly confines. Who picked up the victory in that contest?
CORRECT ANSWER: On April 10, 1993, Peter Sidorkiewicz made forty-two saves in 5-3 victory at Nassau Coliseum against Glenn Healy and the New York Islanders.

FIVE-POINT QUESTION: In January of 1962, this goaltender appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was demoted later in the season, and never appeared in the National Hockey League again. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Don Head, who was called up (traded) from the WHL Portland Buckaroos to backstop the Boston Bruins. After the season, he was sent back to Portland, and he spent his final nine pro seasons in the Western League.

BONUS QUESTION: While it takes a pretty good goaltender to win forty games, I would suggest that it also takes a decent netminder to lose forty games, the rationale being that your team would probably be looking pretty hard to find someone else. Having said that, who was the most recent National Hockey League goaltender to lose forty games in one regular season?
CORRECT ANSWER: The modern-day Ottawa Senators actually have the two most recent netminders to lose forty. In their inaugural season, Sidorkiewicz lost forty-six, and in the next year, Craig Billington went 11-41-4 in sixty-three games for the club. Unlike Sidorkiewicz, Biller didn't let the season essentially drive him out of the big leagues.

PICTORAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in this picture:

CORRECT ANSWER: This is new Montreal goaltender Stephane Fiset, getting his first start for his hometown team at the Meadowlands against Patrik Elias and the Devils. He stopped thirty-six shots in a 5-2 defeat.