Tuesday night was a busy night with 22 teams in action across the National Hockey League. While there were some high-scoring tilts, we still had some great goaltending in Las Vegas and Philadelphia. Plus, we get another encouraging update from Niagara and we look back at a pair of legendary netminders.
Fleury Gets Close to Yet Another Milestone
Marc-Andre Fleury keeps moving his way up the NHL’s all-time wins list. Last night, he made 24 saves to help lead the Vegas Golden Knights over the Minnesota Wild 3-2. The victory was the 453rd regular-season win of his career. He has now moved to within one win of tying Curtis Joseph for sixth all-time in NHL goaltending wins with 454.
Fleury’s biggest save of the night came in the first period when the game was still scoreless and with the Wild on a power play. Matthew Dumba’s shot from the point was blocked and went right to the stick of Zach Parise, where he had a wide-open cage to shoot at. Somehow, Fleury was able to push across his crease and make a fantastic toe save.
“I think we’ve been playing pretty solid here the last little while, more like how we want to, more consistent,” Fleury said after the win. “I think it’s big for us. It just gives us a chance to win every night. It’s fun to watch the guys go out there and score big goals.”
Hart Celebrates his Anniversary in Style
Tuesday was an emotional night for the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center as the team honored forward Oskar Lindblom, who was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Before they dropped the puck against the Anaheim Ducks, the Flyers wore their Hockey Fights Cancer jerseys during warmups. They also played a video tribute to Lindblom as he begins his road to recovery.
Once the puck was dropped, it was Carter Hart’s night to shine. He made 40 saves in a 4-1 victory for the Flyers. The victory came on the one-year anniversary of his callup from the American Hockey League.
“I didn’t even realize it,” Hart said when this fact was pointed out to him. “It’s gone by really quick, that’s for sure. … It was a must-win game. We needed to get things turned around, and we did that tonight.”
Tynan Heading Back Home
We received another great update regarding Tucker Tynan on Tuesday morning. According to the Niagara IceDogs, Tynan was released from a St. Catharines hospital and his heading home to Chicago where he will continue his recovery.
The 17-year-old goaltender suffered a severe cut to his thigh after a collision with a London Knights player. He was immediately rushed to an area hospital. Had the medical staff at the arena not acted as quick as the did, Tynan may have died on the ice due to a rapid loss of blood.
We salute those who acted in such a timely fashion. We will keep you updated on Tucker’s progress as more information becomes available.
This Date in Goaltending History: A Pair of Hall of Fame Shutouts
On Dec. 18, 1928, Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender George Hainsworth set an NHL record by shutting out the Chicago Blackhawks. The 5-0 win was Hainsworth’s fifth consecutive road shutout.
Hainsworth was one of the league’s first star goaltenders. He finished his career 246 regular-season wins, 94 shutouts and a 1.93 goals-against average (GAA). He had another 15 wins in the postseason where he won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Canadiens in 1930 and 1931. He won three straight Vezina Trophies between 1927 and 1929. Hainsworth was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961.
Stay up to date on all things goaltending over at THW’s Goalies Page!
Fast forward 27 years later to Dec. 18, 1955 when one of the greatest netminders to ever take to the crease made more history. Glenn Hall made 26 saves to lead the Detroit Red Wings over the Canadiens, 2-0, at the old Olympia Stadium, for his third straight shutout. He received a lot of help from the guys in front of him as the Red Wings just allowed 56 shots on goal in those three games.
1955-56 was Hall’s first full season in the NHL. He played in all 70 games for the Red Wings finishing 30-24-16 with a 2.10 GAA and a .925 save percentage (SV%). He also led the league with 12 shutouts. He would play one more season in Detroit before he was traded to the Blackhawks, along with Ted Lindsay, for Johnny Wilson, Forbes Kennedy, Bill Preston and Hank Bassen in July of 1957.