Ilya Bryzgalov Leads NHL in Shutouts

With 8 shutouts Ilya Bryzgalov now leads the NHL in shutouts this season. His most recent one was on March 13th against the Carolina Hurricanes where he was out shot 29-20 in a 4-0 win. Bryzgalov was also named the first star of the game.

"He was good and made saves," Maurice said. "He had a bunch that he just made a lot easier than they were. He didn't give any back."

Bryzgalov made a great breakaway save on Erik Cole in the first and robbed Rod Brind'Amour with his glove on a two-man Carolina advantage early in the third period.

"Tonight we played very well," Bryzgalov said. "This is kind of Coyotes road-game hockey."

The next closest goalies in the shutout column is Thomas Vokoun and Craig Anderson who are very close behind him with 7 shutouts this season.

Top 10 Last Hope Saves

Kiprusoff Gets 4th Shutout this Season and 1st Star

Last night Miikka Kiprusoff of the Calgary Flames recorded his 4th shutout of the season when they beat the Ottawa Senators 2-0 to get his 30th win this season. He was also named the first star of the game turning aside all 33 shots that came his way.

"Guys are paying the price and that's what you have to do if you want to win games like this," Kiprusoff said. "If you block a shot, there's not going to be a rebound and there's no scoring chance."

"We had some great efforts from guys blocking shots but Kipper deserves a lot of credit for this win," Mayers said "Kipper made some huge saves and kept us in the game when we weren't playing very well."

Kipper now sits in 3rd place for GAA at 2.18 and a 5th place for SV% at 0.924.

Luongo Exited To get the Start Against Germany

Team Canada goalie Roberto Luongo is said to be playing in tonight's game against Germany. Luongo has already played one game so far and has posted a shutout stopping 15 shots. Martin Brodeur played the next game against the US where they lost 5-3 facing 22 shots and letting in 4 goals. Head Coach Mike Babcock wasn't very impressed with Brodeur. Luongo claims to be pumped up and exited to be playing in such a big game.

The rumor had it that the only game Luongo would play in would be the first one against Norway because it's his home rink but now it's very possible that luongo will be filling the net for the rest of the Olympics. Luongo has always been just behind Brodeur for the Olympics and now he is stepping up and above him.

Kari Lehtonen Traded to Stars

On Tuesday February 9th Kari Lehtonen was traded from the Atlanta Thrashers to the Dallas Stars for Ivan Vishnevskiy and a fourth round draft pick in the 2010 draft.

Lehtonen was called up by Atlanta on Tuesday after completing a conditioning assignment with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. He hasn't played this season in the NHL due to back surgery on September 16th.

When he played for the Chicago Wolves he played 4 games and posted a 2.67GAA and a 0.899 SV%.

The Stars now have three quality goalies to choose from. They have Marty Turco, Alex Auld, and now Kari Lehtonen.

"Obviously I think they feel pretty good about Kari Lehtonen. He's come back and I've heard that he's played well at the American League level, so we'll see what happens from there on our side" said Dallas Stars head coach Marc Crawford.

Rask puts a stop to Bruins’ losing ways

As expected, Year One of Tuukka Rask’s NHL career has been a tale of caution. With far too much evidence, starting from the early demise of Hannu Toivonen, of the woes that come from fast-tracking young goaltenders, the Bruins have practiced patience with Rask, feeding the 22-year-old just enough playing time to keep him from going soft.

But with results at a premium and a hot goalie desperately required, the Bruins have recognized that now, amid a season-altering slump, is no time to continue treating Rask like a rookie.

Before 21,273 at the Bell Centre yesterday, for the first time since playing in six straight in November when Tim Thomas was shelved because of a hand injury, Rask made his third consecutive start. By backstopping the Bruins to a 3-0 victory, Rask halted the team’s 10-game winless streak and proved that he’ll be back between the pipes tomorrow against Buffalo.

“We’ve been looking at the way he’s played, and technically, he’s been pretty sound,’’ said coach Claude Julien. “Even those last two games, he got us a point. The reason we didn’t get two points is because we didn’t do our job offensively. He’s been good.

“Right now, we’re at a stage where you’ve got to go with the goalie that’s playing the best. I think right now, he’s playing the best. We know what Tim [Thomas] can do. Tim will be there at some point. There’s no doubt. But right now, I think Tuukka’s done a pretty good job.’’

Content retrieved from: http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2010/02/08/bruins_halt_losing_streak_at_10_games/

Hiller Signs 4 Year Contract Worth $18 Million

The Ducks have identified their goalie of the future by signing Jonas Hiller to a four-year, $18 million extension, it was announced Saturday. The 27-year-old will make $4.5 million in each year of the contract.

The deal comes after a quick three-year ascension for Hiller in the NHL, in which he took over the No. 1 mantle from Jean-Sebastien Giguere, led the Ducks into the second round of the playoffs last season and now will be paid like a starting goalie.

"When I got here I didn't know what to expect, my first year was more about showing I could play here," Hiller said. "My second year I tried to get better ... having that security is a great thing."

Since the Ducks signed Hiller as a free agent out of the Swiss Elite League, only Boston's Tim Thomas (.9244) and Florida's Tomas Vokoun (.9241) have a better save percentage than Hiller (.9192). He's just ahead of Roberto Luongo (Vancouver), Martin Brodeur (New Jersey) and Ryan Miller (Buffalo) on that list.

This season Hiller is 21-15-2 with a 2.75 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. Like the rest of his teammates, those numbers have gotten better as the Ducks have turned their season around.

"We had a lot of new players and never found a way to play 60 minutes," Hiller said. "There is a lot of talent on this team. I was able to be a factor in that process."

Hiller said Giguere was the first teammate he told about his new contract - "That's the honesty me and Jiggy have"

content retrieved from: http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_14304608

Giguere Traded to Leafs

Jean-Sebastian Giguere was recently traded from the Anaheim Ducks to the Toronto Maple Leaf for veteran forward Jason Blake and goaltender Vessa Toskala. Giguere waived his no trade clause so that he could be traded.

On February 2nd Jiggy made his first start in a Leafs uniform. They played the New Jersey Devils where he faced 30 shots and made all 30 saves for his second shutout of the season.

Jiggy was the second goalie in Leafs history to get a shutout in his first game with a Leafs jersey on. Ed Belfour was the first to do it back in 2002 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Nabokov Near the Top on All His Stats

Evgeni Nabokov the goaltender for the San Jose Sharks has been right near the top this whole season on all of his stats. He's played 46 games with 30 wins which is 2nd in the whole league. He has posted up a 0.928 SV% which is 3rd in the league while having a 2.17GAA which is 4th in the league. He has also posted 2 shutouts this season.

Even his teammates are very pleased with his play. "We talk about it all the time. He gives us a chance to win every night and that's exactly what he did," forward Manny Malhotra said. "

This is a good sign for team Russia because Nabokov is said to be the starting goalie at the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver. In 2006 Nabokov was signed to a 4 year $21.5 million dollar contract and I think San Jose is getting every penny worth from him.

Jean-Sebastian Giguere Wanting the Starting Position

The Anaheim Ducks have always relied on goalie Jean-Sebastian Giguere for the starting job in net up until last year in playoffs. It seems like Giguere has been in a slump ever since then and Jonas Hiller has become their new number one goalie.

Giguere has been playing for the Ducks since the 2000-2001 season and has always been the number one man. He has quite a history with the team like winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2003 while leading his team to the Stanley Cup Finals and then latter on in 2007 winning the cup. He was also selected to the All-Star team in 2009. With all those accomplishments I can tell how he wouldn't want to be the backup goalie.

"You've got to be a team guy and you've got to accept your role, and this is the role I've been given right now," he said. "But it doesn't mean that I'm going to accept it in a way. I'm going to push for more. I'm going to strive for more. I'm not going to give up on wanting to be a No. 1 goalie. This is why I play this game. It's to play. So I'm not going to give up on that.

Curtis Joseph Retires

NHL goaltender Curtis Joseph announced his retirement on Tuesday at a press conference at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

He played for many teams such as the Saitn Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He was the 4th winningest goalie in the NHL with 454 wins. He was only behind: Martin Brodeur(585), Patrick Roy(551), and Ed Belfour(484).

He said he had a "great career" and "didn't leave anything on the table." He spoke at a news conference in Toronto, where he ended his career with the Maple Leafs.

Jonas Hiller Making a Difference for the Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have been right near the bottom of the standing for pretty much this whole season. Their goaltender Jonas Hiller is trying to make a difference and its starting to work. Hiller has been playing at the top of his game this year giving the Ducks a chance to win every night.

Most recently he was the NHL's second star of the week after posting a 4-0-0 record with only 1.50GAA and a 0.954SV% over the past week. But the glory doesn't end there. He was also recently named to the 2010 Men's Olympic Switzerland Team where he will be sharing the net with Martin Gerber and Tobias Stephan.

The stats that Hiller has been putting up this year have been amazing considering he's on a loosing team. He has posted up a GAA of 2.72 and a SV% of 0.918 with one shutout. He also has 16 wins in his 31 games played this season.

Mathieu Garon Trying to Take Over Starting Job

Still fairly new to the Columbus Blue Jackets is Mathieu Garon who signed with them on July 1st 2009 for a 2 year, $2.4 million dollar contract. He seems to be making a great impression on them by being named third star for the week. He went 3-0-0 and had a steller 1.46 GAA, a 0.940 SV%, and one shutout. Having already played 21 games this season, he has picked up 7 wins. He has posted a 2.55 GAA, .909 SV%, and two shutouts. The last game he played was against the Dallas Stars where he face 26 shots and had a shutout.

His stats have been looking pretty good compared to his goalie partner Steve Mason. Steve Mason has a not so impressive 3.31 GAA and 0.890 SV%, but he does have just as many shutouts but in an extra 12 games.

Tuukka Rask Showing Consistency

Tuukka Rask, goalie of the Boston Bruins has been showing incredible performances day in and day out. All thought he is only 22 years old and its his first year in the NHL, he is right near the top of the leader board in almost everything. Usually it takes a little while to get used to a new league, not for Rask.

He is 2nd in the NHL with a GAA of 1.92 and an amazing save percentage of 0.933. He also has 2 shutouts to back it up. He has 10 wins and only 4 losses this season. Tuukka Rask was drafted in 2005, 21st overall in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs but then traded later on to the Bruins for Andrew Raycroft. I bet the leafs could take that one back now.

Brodeur Ties Sawchucks Shutout Record

December 7th was a huge day for New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur. It was a day that will never be forgoton. He tied Terry Sawchucks all time shutout record with 103 shutouts. They played the Buffalo Sabres and won 3-0. Brodeur faced a total of 22 shots. This was his second shutout of the season and he only needs one more to be the new record holder for most shutouts.

The next closest active goalie is Chris Osgood of the Detroit Red Wings with 50 shutouts. If Brodeur plays 4 more games he will have tied Patrick Roy's record for most games played. Brodeur now holds the record for: most wins, tied for most shutouts, and extremely close to most games played.

Brodeur has been having a great season so far. He has a GAA of 2.11 and a SV% of 0.922. He also has the most wins of all NHL goalies this season so far. He has posted 18 wins in only 26 games.

Heres a little video with Martin Brodeurs top 10 saves of all time.

Marc-Andre Fleury Leading the League in Wins

With a total of 17 wins in 24 games, Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins leads all NHL goalies in the wins column. After playing amazing in the 2009 playoffs and taking home the cup it seems that his performance has only been going up. He has posted a 2.45 GAA and 0.905 SV%. Usually after a team wins the cup their not as good the following year but it seems that every year that passes by Fleury just keeps getting better and better. I sure hope he can keep this up so he can give his team another shot at the cup.

Tomas Vokoun Beaten By His Own Player

On November 30th the Florida Panthers faced off against the Atlanta Thrasher. It was early in the game when the Thrashers Ilya Kovalchuck got the second goal of the game at 8:54. The Panthers defenceman Keith Ballard tried to break his stick over the goal post in frustration but accidentally hit his goaltender Tomas Vokoun across the head. Vokound went down with blood flowing from his ear. He was down on the ice for about 10 minutes before being put onto a stretcher and Scott Clemmensen stepping up in goal.

''He's probably pretty bummed. Nobody feels worse than Keith,'' Florida GM Randy Sexton said. ''There was no internal ear damage, just a laceration. They stitched him up, took a CAT scan and there's no additional injuries.''

Ryan Miller Leading The Stats

Buffalo Sabres netminder Ryan Miller has always been good, but this year he has been so much more than that. So far this has been his best season by far. He leads all NHL goalies in save percentage, goals against average, and shutouts.

He has played 21 games with 15 wins, 4 losses, and 2 overtime losses. His GAA is a stellar 1.84 and his SV% is 0.937. The next closest goalie in GAA is over 2 and the next closest SV% is 0.931. He also is tied in first among all goalies in shutouts with 3.

In his last game against the Toronto Maple Leafs he faced 38 shots and none got past him. This is great that he is playing so good in front of Brian Burke (president and GM of the Leafs) because he is assembling the Olympic Team USA hockey team.

"Their goalie over there has stolen two games against us," said Leafs forward Matt Stajan. "I don't know what it is. Maybe his Team U.S. coach and GM are on our side, he wants to prove something? I don't know what it is, but he's one of the best and you've got to give him credit."

Roberto Luongo Playing Great Since Injury

At the start of this season a lot of people were scared and nervous about Vancouver Canucks Captain Robeto Luongo. He wasn't playing well like he usually did and he was letting in far more goals than needed. He had one of the worst GAA ans SV% in the league. Then he got injure to make things worse for the Canucks.

After his return from his injury something changed. He started playing like he used to and started making those saves that Vancouver fans live for. Luongo has returned to his old self. From being nearly dead last with his GAA and SV% he has bumped it up to 2.56 GAA and 0.910 SV%. If he can continue with this performance you can expect to be seeing him in the red and white team Canada uniform for the 2010 Olympics.

Ondrej Pavelec Leads Thrasher to a Big Win

The Atlanta Thrashers new starting goalie Ondrej Pavelec is really making a good impression on himself. Last night he was in net against the Detroit Red Wings and definitely won the game for them.

The Thrashers won 2-0. The shots were 25 for the Thrashers and 40 for the Red Wings. The Red Wings sure gave Pavelec a tough run for his second shutout of the season. This is the first time this season that the Red Wings have been shutout, and it was in their own arena.

“It was my first game in Detroit and I was a little nervous playing against these guys,’’ Pavelec said. “They had a lot of shots right away. That got me into the game right away.’’ This has been a great season for Pavelec so far, he has a 0.923 SV% and 2.76 GAA. I hope he can keep up this kind of play.