He not only makes history, Martin Brodeur knows it, too.
It’s something of a rarity these days, but Brodeur always knows something about those he’s passing, 70 years later. The Devils’ franchise goalie is a rare hockey knowledge buff in a league that often seems intent on obliterating its rich heritage, that turns the Smythe, Norris, Adams and Patrick divisions into directions or oceans.
Starting this afternoon when the Devils play host to the Thrashers in Newark, Brodeur’s next shutout will vault him into sole possession of second place all-time. Hot again, Brodeur has two in his last four games.
Brodeur tied George Hainsworth for second place on the career shutout list with his 94th Friday, a 4-0 victory over the Canadiens in Newark.
“Hainsworth had 22 shutouts in one season, 44 games,” Brodeur said. “They played by different rules.”
They did indeed. In that 1928-29 season, 10 teams played a total of 220 games, with 120 shutouts. The differences were plenty, but most of all, forward passing was prohibited everywhere except the neutral zone. The following season, forward passing was sanctioned, and Hainsworth’s shutout total fell to four.
Just 5-foot-6, Hainsworth was brought to Montreal to replace the goaltending legend of all time, Georges Vezina. He was grabbed disputedly by the Canadiens over the Toronto St. Pats (soon Maple Leafs) from Saskatoon when the Western Hockey League disbanded in 1926. That was the dispersal that made the NHL, each team loading up, including the new Rangers, who landed Frank Boucher, Ching Johnson and the Cook Bros.
Montreal had not been satisfied with Alphonse Lacroix or Herb Rheaume in replacement of Vezina, who had not missed a game since 1911, 367 regular season and playoffs, before being knocked out of action in 1925 by a fever that proved fatal months later. Hainsworth won the first three Vezina trophies, donated by the Canadiens, an honor Brodeur currently holds for the third time.
Hainsworth, a Hall of Famer, tended net for the Canadiens and Toronto from 1926-37, 11 seasons, and holds the Habs’ record of 75 career shutouts. He played 465 career games, going 246-145-74 with a 1.93 goals-against. He added eight playoff shutouts in winning two Cups. Hainsworth held the record some 30 years before Terry Sawchuk passed him en route to the current mark of 103.
Sawchuk played goal for Detroit, Boston, Toronto, Los Angeles and the Rangers from 1949-70, 971 games (447-330-172) with a 2.51, winning four Cups. Another Hall of Famer, Sawchuk 12 playoff shutouts for his combined total of 115, a mark Brodeur broke Friday.
Brodeur stands 505-273-105-15 in 913 career games with 94 shutouts, three Cups and 22 playoff shutouts. And counting.
*
The Devils swept two visits to Atlanta this season, 6-5 on Oct. 13 and 3-0 on Nov. 23, Brodeur’s other shutout this season. . . . Zach Parise’s first career hat trick Friday gave him 12 goals on the season. . . . The Devils’ current streak is their longest since they won 11 straight to complete the 2005-06 season.