CORRECT ANSWER: This is Pete Peeters, in his late 1980s stint with the Washington Capitals. This photograph was from the 1986-87 season; Peeters' first full year in Washington, when he split time with Bob Mason and went 17-11-4 with the club.
1. Gilles Carmel 113
2. Mark Calandra 101
3. Bryan McCready 93
4. Jason Kurylo 76
Jim Shaarda 76
6. Aaron Cronk 69
7. Justin Deonarine 65
Realto Margarino 65
9. Neil Robinson 50
10. Marie Armstrong 46
TWO-POINT QUESTION: On November 8, Nikolai Khabibulin registered his twelfth
shutout with the Tampa Bay Lightning, tying his franchise's career record.
Who does Khabibulin presently share the mark with?
CORRECT ANSWER: Daren Puppa, the Lighting's first franchise goaltender,
who recorded twelve shutouts between 1993 and 1998. Puppa and Khabibulin
paced each other twice at the NHL leve, with each winning once.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: Martin Brodeur currently has a streak of six seasons
with seventy or more regular season National Hockey League games. Before
Brodeur, who was the last goaltender to record such a streak?
CORRECT ANSWER: You have to go all the way back to Detroit/Chicago's Glenn
Hall, who had a seven-season streak of seventy-game seasons. Remember,
of course, that NHL seasons were only seventy games long then, and Hall's
streak was part of his 502 consecutive regular season games. Wow!
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: In the history of the National Hockey League, only
one goaltender has ever given up a regular-season overtime penalty shot
goal. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Yes, there were two - that's what I get for writing questions
during last year's "off year" and then using them without double-checking.
Both occured to the same franchise, though. On December 23, 2000, the New
York Rangers' Kirk McLean gave up an overtime penalty shot goal to Nashville's
David Legwand. Two years later, on December 5, 2002, sophomore Dan Blackburn
gave one up to Philadelphia's Michal Handzus.
BONUS QUESTION: As of this writing, there is exactly one National Hockey
League franchise whose top two goaltenders are considered rookies by
the league. Name the franchise.
CORRECT ANSWER: I was looking for the Pittsburgh Penguins' tandem of
Sebastien Caron and Marc-Andre Fleury, who had a combined twenty-four games
of National Hockey League experience prior to this season. However,
with Jocelyn Thibault injured in Chicago, I also accepted answers of
Michael Leighton and Craig Anderson with the Blackhawks because of certain
interpretations of "top two goaltenders".
PICTORIAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in the following picture (click on the image for a closer look):
CORRECT ANSWER: This is Pete Peeters, in his late 1980s stint with the
Washington Capitals. This photograph was from the 1986-87 season; Peeters'
first full year in Washington, when he split time with Bob Mason and went
17-11-4 with the club.
TWO-POINT QUESTION: Martin Brodeur is the odds-on favourite to capture
his second consecutive Vezina Trophy as the National Hockey League's top
goaltender. Who was the last goaltender to win consecutive Vezina Trophies?
CORRECT ANSWER: The last to win two in a row is also the last to win three
in a row - Dominik Hasek won the Vezina in 1997, 1998 and 1999 for the Buffalo
Sabres. Were it not for Jim Carey (1996) and Olaf Kolzig (2000), Hasek would
have won eight in a row! That would be a lot.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: Many people call the final game of the 1987 Canada
Cup series the best hockey game ever played. Name the winning goaltender.
CORRECT ANSWER: Grant Fuhr was the winner in this 6-5, double overtime
game against the Soviet Union. Most of you have probably seen Mario
Lemieux's game-winner (from Wayne Gretzky) in this game - the goaltender in
the Soviet net was Sergei Mylnikov. Mylnikov was in net for the USSR's
Game One win over Team Canada, though.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: When the National Hockey League instituted regular-season
overtime in the early 1980s, who was the first goaltender to take advantage
by winning an overtime contest?
CORRECT ANSWER: On October 8, 1983, the New York Islanders became the first
team in nearly forty-one years to win a regular-season overtime game, taking
an 8-7 victory over the hometown Capitals. In his National Hockey League
debut, Kelly Hrudey entered the game at 3:26 of the third period with the
Isles down 6-3, replacing a shaky Rollie Melanson. Kelly and the
Islanders won the game when Bob Bourne scored; it was the eighth goal of
the night given up by Washington's Al Jensen.
Overtime regular-season ames were originally discontinued in November of 1942 because of World War II travel restrictions.
BONUS QUESTION: Name the first goaltender to sweep a four-game series in the
Stanley Cup Finals.
CORRECT ANSWER: Frank Brimsek, in his third National Hockey League season,
led the 1941 Boston Bruins to a four-zero sweep of the Detroit Red Wings.
PICTORIAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in the following picture (click on the image for a closer look):
CORRECT ANSWER: Well, I promised that I'd try to outsmart some of you this
week, and I very nearly outsmarted myself (and may still have). To get
rid of the two most popular answers, it was not Glenn Hall. Hall never wore
#30 for the Blues, and by the time he began to wear a goalmask, his hairline
was in full retreat.
It was also probably not Jacques Plante. Plante did wear #30 for the Blues, but he had his own mask with the Blues, and I'm almost sure that he never wore the mask pictured.
That leads us to Seth Martin. The ears and hairline are a dead ringer for Martin, and from the photos I've seen of Martin, his blocker, trapper, legpads and goalstick are identical to the one in this photo. Unfortunately, he wasn't wearing a mask in any photos I've seen of him as a Blue - and some of you found a site which shows a Glenn Hall mask looking identical to this fellow's. I do know that Martin made masks in the 1960s, and in fact was the one who popularized the goalmask in Europe, so it could be that he made Hall's mask once Hall decided to wear one.
I'd love to hear any proof you might have for this being Hall or Plante (or someone else entirely). Regardless, you can guess what I'll be doing over the holidays, and it involves some microfilm and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch if I can find it. Fortunately for me, I'm weird enough that I like this stuff. (Postscript: Gilles Carmel provided for me this link. From this evidence, it's definitely Martin. Thanks, Gilles!)
THREE-POINT QUESTION: After starting the 2003-04 regular season with two
eight million dollar goaltenders, the Detroit Red Wings have been beset
by injuries (although not just to their goaltending corps). Who backed up
Curtis Joseph in their loss to Chicago last Thursday?
CORRECT ANSWER: Twenty-three-year-old Joey MacDonald, who has spent the past
season and a half with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, wore #30 for the Winged Wheel as he made his first appearance
as a player in a National Hockey League venue.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: Why did Jason Muzzatti play the final second (and
just the final second) of the Hartford Whalers game against Tampa Bay on April
13, 1997?
CORRECT ANSWER: first a note; Muzzatti played the final second of the first
period. This was done because, for the final game in Hartford Whalers'
club history, Paul Maurice decided that all twenty dressed players would see
action. Muzzatti did not waste his second of action, racking up twelve
penalty minutes in a disagreement with Shawn Burr of the Lightning.
BONUS QUESTION: Name the oldest goaltender to make his first appearance
in a National Hockey League game.
CORRECT ANSWER: In 1926, at the ripe old age of forty-one, Hugh Lehman became
the first goaltender in the history of the expansion Chicago Black Hawks.
Lehman had been a star in the old Pacific Coast Hockey Association, and was
inducted into hockey's Hall of Fame in 1958.
PICTORIAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in the following picture (click on the image for a closer look):
CORRECT ANSWER: This is yet another Hall of Famer, Walter "Turk" Broda, whose
constant battle against his waistline prompted this photograph. Many people
do not know that Broda was not called "Turk" because of his ethnic background -
he was of Polish ancestors - but because his freckles reminder other children
of a turkey egg.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: Regarding the Boucher streak, who held (and still
holds) the all-time National Hockey League record for consecutive shutouts
by a netminder.
CORRECT ANSWER: During January and February of 1928, "The Ottawa Fireman",
Alex Connell posted a shutout streak of 446:06 including six consecutive
shutouts for the original Ottawa Senators. Connell was elected to Hockey's
Hall of Fame in 1958.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: This National Hockey League goaltender recently became
just the third netminder in his franchise's history (strange but true!) to
record a victory. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Over the course of their six-year history, the Nashville
Predators had somehow only had two goaltenders (Mike Dunham and Tomas Vokoun)
register a victory, although Eric Fichaud, Brian Finley,
Wade Flaherty, Jan Lasak and
Chris Mason have all had opportunities to become the third.
Finally, on January 8, Mason was in net for the Preds' 4-3 overtime win
over the Colorado Avalanche, joining an exclusive club.
BONUS QUESTION: Currently, there are three National Hockey League goaltenders
whose fathers also played goal in the league. Name them.
CORRECT ANSWER: John Grahame (son of Ron),
Brent Johnson (son of Bob) and
Philippe Sauve (son of Bob) are all active in the bigs this season, although
Johnson was sent to AHL Worcester mid-week. As a point of order, Richard and
Martin Brodeur are not father and son, nor are
Jacques and Dan Cloutier.
PICTORIAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in the following picture (click on the image for a closer look):
CORRECT ANSWER: This is Canucks' top prospect Alexander Auld, although his
mask is quite similar to that worn by Peter Skudra for the
two seasons prior.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: More than thirteen years before his final National
Hockey League game, this netminder (who was suffering from mononucleosis
at the time) quit the league, saying that his nerves were shot. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Speaking of Sawchuk, Terry made his first retirement
known while a second-year member of the Boston Bruins. After spending five
seasons with the powerhouse Red Wings, Sawchuk was traded to Boston partially
because Detroit had another Hall-of-Famer in the wings, Glenn Hall.
While recovering from mono, the Boston press criticized Terry for missing too many games (although Don Simmons and Norm Defelice performed admirably in his stead), and Sawchuk threatened to sue four of the Boston newspapers as a result. Finally, Terry walked out, stating that he was entering "temporary retirement brought about by emotional strain".
The situation was resolved to Sawchuk's satisfaction when Detroit reacquired him, sending Hall on to Chicago.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: On Saturday, Florida's Roberto Luongo stopped an
incredible fifty shots on goal in his club's 2-1 win over the Lightning.
Prior to Luongo, who was the last goaltender to record fifty or more saves in
a regular-season National Hockey League game?
CORRECT ANSWER: On January 4, 2003, Toronto's Ed Belfour stopped exactly
fifty (of fifty-one) shots in the Leafs' 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Unlike the clubs in the 1980s, the more recent version of the Leafs were (are)
much more able in their defensive tasks, but Belfour was able to make the
best of an unusual high-shot contest.
BONUS QUESTION: Last week, I asked for the three current NHL goaltenders whose
fathers also played net in the league. To my knowledge, no goaltenders
currently on an NHL roster were sons of non-goaltender NHL veterans (draw
your own conclusions). Name the most recent National Hockey League netminder
who had a father play in the league at a non-goaltender position.
CORRECT ANSWER: Ron Hextall, the grandson in a three-generation National
Hockey League family, was the son of Bryan Hextall, Jr., who played eight
National Hockey League seasons in the 1960s and 1970s. Also part of the
Hextall hockey family were Ron's uncle Dennis, and Ron's grandfather,
Hall-of-Famer Bryan Hextall.
PICTORIAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in the following picture (click on the image for a closer look):
CORRECT ANSWER: From the team's triumph at the 1998 Winter Olympics in
Nagano, this is gold medal-winning netminder Sarah Tueting, showing off
her new hardware. Sarah's currently enrolled in graduate business school,
and I'm not aware of her plans for the next Olympics in 2006.
THREE-POINT QUESTION: On January 20, New Jersey's Scott Clemmensen stopped
twenty-five shots in a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. What makes
this remarkable is that this game was Clemmensen's first National Hockey
League start. Prior to Clemmensen, name the last netminder to record
a shutout in his first career NHL start.
CORRECT ANSWER: On January 8, 2003, in a game televised nationally in the
United States, Chicago's Michael Leighton squared off against the Phoenix
Coyotes and Zac Bierk. Leighton would stop all thirty-one shots he would
face, yet would not earn his first career win thanks to Bierk's forty-save
shutout. In fact, Leighton - playing behind an injury-riddled Blackhawks
lineup - would not earn his first victory until almost three months later.
FIVE-POINT QUESTION: With sixteen, name the goaltender who holds the all-time
World Hockey Association record for career regular-season shutouts.
CORRECT ANSWER: Ernie Wakely, who played in the renegade league for all
seven of its seasons, gathered sixteen whitewashings (and two more in the
World Cup playoffs). In today's game, this doesn't sound like very many
at all, but in the context of the era and league, this total is quite
remarkable.
BONUS QUESTION: To mark the most recent expansion era, the San Jose
Sharks joined the National Hockey League in the fall of 1991. Name the
goaltender who gave up the first goal in Sharks' history (to journeyman
center Craig Coxe).
CORRECT ANSWER: In an attempt to avoid any potential ambiguity, I explicitly
gave the name of the scorer - San Jose's Craig Coxe (who would score just
one more goal in his big-league career). Yes, I was looking for the goaltender
who gave up the first goal (not goal against) in Sharks' history - and it's
my favourite, Vancouver's Kirk McLean. Fortunately for the Canucks, they
won the game by a 4-3 count.
PICTORIAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in the following picture (click on the image for a closer look):
CORRECT ANSWER: This young netminder's bright future has been put on hold
for the time being - the New York Rangers' Dan Blackburn. The tenth overall
selection in the 2001 entry draft, Dan began the 2001-02 campaign as a
fresh-faced eighteen-year-old backup, yet finished as the Rangers' starter,
playing just about every game in March and April after Mike Richter was
forced to retire due to injuries. He's currently battling his own injury
troubles, but Dan will be a big part of New York's future successes.