Firing blanks

Roy makes playoff shutout history, aims for more

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Posted: Saturday May 20, 2000 04:46 AM

Patrick Roy has had 10 of his 15 career postseason shutouts with the Avalanche. Elsa Hasch/Allsport

By Ryan Hunt, CNNSI.com

No goaltender in NHL history has had more postseason shutouts than Patrick Roy. But the Avalanche goaltender isn't done chasing postseason history.

By blanking Dallas in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, Roy matched Clint Benedict's career mark for postseason shutouts with 15.

If he can pull off one more shutout of Dallas, he would own the postseason shutout trifecta -- holding career, single-season and series records for goose eggs.

In fact, the next shutout in the Colorado-Dallas series will be record tying, period.

Zero Tolerance Most career playoff shutouts SO  Goaltender  GP  Years  15  Clint Benedict  48  1917-30  15  Patrick Roy  192  1984-pres  14  Jacques Plante  112  1952-73  13  Turk Broda  101  1936-52  12  Terry Sawchuk  106  1949-70  10  Ed Belfour  121  1988-pres  10  Ken Dryden  112  1970-79  8  Martin Brodeur  74  1991-pres  8  Chris Osgood  62  1993-pres  8  Gerry Cheevers  88  1961-80  8  George Hainsworth  52  1926-37  8  Dave Kerr  40  1930-41  8  John Ross Roach  34  1921-35  Through May 15

Roy and Dallas netminder Ed Belfour each have three shutouts this postseason. The all-time single-season playoff mark for shutouts is four, shared by 10 goaltenders since 1926.

But Roy is personally outdueling Belfour -- who is tied for sixth on the career list with 10 shutouts -- in their head-to-head showdowns.

Two of Roy's shutouts have come in the first three games of the Western Conference final with the Stars. Only five goaltenders in NHL history have ever posted three shutouts in one series, the last being New Jersey's Martin Brodeur during the Devils' Cup run in 1995.

Brodeur, who has led the Devils to the Eastern Conference finals, is tied for eighth on the career list. So, fittingly, the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs are turning into the "Year of the Shutout."

There already have been 14 shutouts this postseason through May 19, which already has matched last year's total and is closing in on the single-season record. The 1997 playoffs holds the record of 18, including three by Roy.

Puck Stops Here Four playoff shutouts in one postseason Goalie  Team  Year  GP  Olaf Kolzig  Capitals  1998  21  Kirk McLean  Canucks  1994  24  Mike Richter  Rangers  1994  23  Ken Dryden  Canadiens  1977  14  Bernie Parent  Flyers  1975  17  Terry Sawchuk  Red Wings  1952  8  Frank McCool  Maple Leafs  1945  13  Dave Kerr  Rangers  1937  9  Clint Benedict  Maroons  1928  9  Clint Benedict  Maroons  1926  8

But for Roy, who also holds the career postseason records for wins and games played, the mark was a long time coming.

Roy needed 144 more games to equal Benedict, who only won 25 playoff games in his 13-year career with Ottawa and the Montreal Maroons from 1917-30.

There's no question that a hot goaltender equals success. And it's been no different this postseason.

Of the nine first- or second-round series that had at least one shutout, only the Pittsburgh Penguins lost the series in which they blanked an opponent.

 

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