1. Bryan McCready 72
2. Tom Mascioli 65
3. Steve May 62
4. Neil Robinson 47
5. Gary Balentine 42
Les Batten 42
Donny Daubanton 42
8. John Santore 30
9. Jerry Kotzman 24
10. Chris Polehoykie 22
Blake Wilson 22
TWO-POINT QUESTION: Patrick Roy recently
won an unprecedented third Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the
Stanley Cup playoffs. Other than Roy, name the only goaltender to have won
two Conn Smythe Trophies.
CORECT ANSWER: Bernie Parent, in
leading his Philadelphia Flyers to back-to-back Stanley Cups, was named the
most valuable player of the NHL postseason in consecutive (1974, 1975)
seasons.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: Name the active goaltender who holds the all-time
wins record for two separate National Hockey League franchises.
CORRECT ANSWER: Current Columbus Blue Jacket netminder
Ron Tugnutt not only holds his franchise's
all-time win record (22 to start the season); he holds the record for the
modern-day Ottawa Senators (72) as well.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: This National Hockey League goaltender made his
first three appearances of one regular season in relief of three separate
starters. I believe that this has only happened once in National Hockey
League history (and it was reasonably recently), but in the event that I'm
wrong, name the last NHL goaltender whom this occurred to.
CORRECT ANSWER: If you recall, when the Detroit Red Wings opened their
1993-94 regular season, they were having a bit of a goaltender crisis. On
October 5 of that year, Vincent Riendeau
had to relive starter Tim Cheveldae.
Four days later, Riendeau spelled a struggling Peter
Ing. On the 15th, rookie Chris Osgood
- making his NHL debut - had to be pulled, and Riendeau entered the game.
Later that season, Riendeau would be traded to the Bruins.
BONUS QUESTION: Name the goaltender who holds the National Hockey League
record for most appearances, regular season and postseason, without making
a single start in an NHL net.
CORRECT ANSWER: In 1995-96, St. Louis Blues goaltender
Grant Fuhr made a determined effort to appear
in every single regular season game for his club. Although his backup -
Pat Jablonski - had his moments, this
probably wasn't such a bad idea, and I'd bet that were it not for knee trouble
late in the year, Fuhr would have succeeded. Anyhow, Jablonski was eventually
traded, and his replacement, Bruce Racine,
made his NHL debut (on 11/18/95) in relief of Fuhr. Racine would make several
more relief appearances during the season, including a playoff spelling of new
Blue Jon Casey. In total, Racine played in
twelve National Hockey League games, with zero starts, an NHL record.
PICTORAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in this picture:
CORRECT ANSWER: Gary "Suitcase" Smith,
in the mid-1970s. Perhaps most notable in this photograph is the appearance of
young defenseman Harold Snepsts in his second season, prior to the moustache
growth that would be worn for the remainder of his seventeen-year career.
TWO-POINT QUESTION: Alright, it's a tradition. Name the goaltender to
yield the first (chronologically) National Hockey League goal this season.
CORRECT ANSWER: In the first game of the season, Ottawa Senators'
defenseman Wade Redden found the back of the net at 2:29 of the first period.
The goaltender was Toronto's Curtis Joseph,
who ended up losing the game, 5-4.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: Name the most recent goaltender to make his
National Hockey League debut in a playoff game.
CORRECT ANSWER: On April 9, 1989, with the New York Rangers down three
games to zero in their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the
club decided to call up 22-year-old Mike
Richter from Denver of the International Hockey League. Unfortunately,
Richter would fare no better against the Pens, losing 4-3.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: It is rare that a first-year netminder is named to
play in the annual NHL All-Star Game, as happened to San Jose's
Evgeni Nabokov last winter. Prior to
Nabokov, name the last rookie netminder to be selected to the game.
CORRECT ANSWER: Some would argue that Roman Cechmanek, who appeared in
the same game last season (one period earlier) would be the correct answer,
and I gave credit for this. However, Cechmanek was not officially a rookie
by National Hockey League standards. I was looking for New Jersey's
Sean Burke, who played in the 1989 All-Star
Game, allowing six goals in thirty minutes of action.
BONUS QUESTION: Name the only goaltender to yield 500th career National
Hockey League goals to two separate individuals.
CORRECT ANSWER: On March 14, 1997, Pittsburgh's Joe Mullen scored his
500th career NHL goal past Colorado's Patrick
Roy, making Roy the first (and only) netminder to allow two 500th goals.
Just over one year prior (1/17/96), the Red Wings' Steve Yzerman tallied his
500th against Roy.
PICTORAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in this picture:
CORRECT ANSWER: It's amazing how fast one's fame can fleet; the
goaltender picture is the Boston Bruins' Blaine
Lacher. After winning the NCAA champinship with Lake Superior State,
Lacher started the lockout-shortened 1995 campaign with the Bruins, having an
excellent rookie season (although overshadowed by fellow netminder
Jim Carey). Lacher struggled to begin
the following season, and was demoted to the minors. By the end of 1997,
he was out of professional hockey.
TWO-POINT QUESTION: Name the most recent National Hockey League
goaltender to record a shutout in his postseason debut.
CORRECT ANSWER: On April 20, 1994, Detroit's
Chris Osgood stopped twenty-two San Jose
shots, shutting out the Sharks, 4-0, and evening their first-round series at
one game apiece (Bob Essensa was in net for
Detroit's opener). Many of you will remember that the Sharks went on to win
this series, becoming the first 8-seed to defeat a 1-seed in NHL playoff
competition.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: Name the last National Hockey League team to use
three different goaltenders in one game.
CORRECT ANSWER: On May 16, 1995, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington
Capitals squared off (as they seem to do every season) in the first round
of the playoffs, and rookie netminder Jim Carey
was simply awful. Giving up six goals on thirteen shots (that's a save
percentage of 54%, kids), Carey was pulled in favour of another rookie,
Olaf Kolzig. Kolzig stopped all five shots
he faced, but was then injured, prompting Carey to return to the Capital net.
In the meantime, a *third* rookie, Byron Dafoe,
was quickly putting his equipment on, and was ready to start the third period.
Dafoe only saw three shots, stopping two of them, as the Penguins rolled to a
7-1 victory. The Pens would win the deciding seventh game two nights later.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: As many of you know, the New York Islanders
retired the sweater of Bryan Trottier on Saturday. On the day when Trottier
decided to score his first NHL goal, he also decided to get two more for his
first NHL hat trick. Name the goaltender who yielded Trottier's first three
National Hockey League goals.
CORRECT ANSWER: Setting a team record for points, with three goals and
two assists, Trottier made his mark on the Islanders' franchise just one month
into his National Hockey League career. The opposing goaltender was the
Los Angeles Kings' Rogie Vachon.
BONUS QUESTION: Name the most recent National Hockey League goaltender
to win three consecutive playoff overtime games.
CORRECT ANSWER: Ah, the ambiguous question. My intent was to have you
name the last goaltender to win three consecutive playoff games, all in
overtime. That would be the Vancouver Canucks'
Kirk McLean, who between April 26 and
April 30, 1994, brought his team back from a 3 games to 1 deficit by winning
three straight overtime contests. The Canucks would eventually fall to
the New York Rangers, in seven games, in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Some, however, read the question to mean the last goaltender to win three consecutive overtime games (not necessarily back-to-back-to-back). I gave credit for this answer: Roman Turek, who last season won overtime games on April 19, May 1 and May 16. That streak is no longer active, as Turek lost in overtime to Colorado's Patrick Roy, on May 18.
PICTORAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in this picture:
CORRECT ANSWER: Gerry Cheevers
didn't play without a mask for very many seasons, but this is what he looked
like when he did.
TWO-POINT QUESTION: Name the active National Hockey League goaltender
who is currently "next in line" to win 300 regular season games.
CORRECT ANSWER: With 286 victories to start the season, New Jersey's
Martin Brodeur will almost surely be the
next to win 300 in the NHL. The Rangers' Mike
Richter is behind him (272 wins to start the year).
THREE-POINT QUESTION: With one more victory in a Colorado uniform,
Patrick Roy will become the first goaltender to
achieve *what* with two separate NHL franchises?
CORRECT ANSWER: With a single victory (and he has now lost four
consecutive decisions with the struggling Avalanche), Roy will win his 200th
game with Colorado, becoming the first to achieve that milestone with two
separate clubs.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: Including statistics from both the NHL and WHA,
regular season and postseason, Gordie Howe was the first major-league
professional hockey player to score 1000 goals. Name the goaltender to
give up Howe's 1000th.
CORRECT ANSWER: On December 7, 1978, in a World Hockey Association game
in Birmingham, Alabama, the Birmingham Bulls' John Garrett gave up Howe's
1000th at 18:24 of the first period.
BONUS QUESTION: Name the goaltender in net for the Philadelphia Flyers
when they set the National Hockey League record for most consecutive games
without a loss.
CORRECT ANSWER: On December 22, 1979, the Flyers defeated the Boston
Bruins, 5-2, in Boston Garden, setting a new National Hockey League record with
their 29th consecutive game without a loss. Phil
Myre was the Flyers' goaltender (with Gilles
Gilbert in net for the Bruins).
PICTORAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in this picture:
CORRECT ANSWER: Jacques Cloutier,
who played in 53 games for the Blackhawks over two seasons, is now working as
an assistant coach with the Avalanche.