Brian Boucher's streak

[Spotnick]

Before the mods move this out of the way, I'd like to say he done something quite impressive, but we have to admit, something is going on in Hockey today.

Remember when Patrick Lalime and that-goalie-from-St-Louis-I-can-never-remember-his-name did 3 shutouts in a row in the playoffs and everybody said it was incredible.. now we're talking about 5 in a row.. which is statistically impossible...

So what the hell happened? Brian Boucher is not that good, the Coyotes are not a good team, lucky streak or what?

Amazing how many shutouts are done recently in the game, it's pretty much annoying in fact, not that more goals make more exciting games (I've seen better 0-0 games than 8-1 blowouts), but gee, that's not a perfect game in baseball...

Anyways, the problem is that those kind of records will be beater many times in the next few years if nothing is done to help scoring in this defensive-league.

When you think a game against Nashville is more exciting than a games against the Leafs, there is something wrong!

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

An impressive feat in any league. However...

Durnan accomplished his streak in a 6 team NHL, (*) Boucher in a 30 team version of the league.

In that sense the feat, IMO, is on the same level as career playoff scoring totals, which are skewed in favour of of post-1967 players (pre-1967 there were only two playoff rounds), or 50 goals in 50 games in a 6 team league versus 50 goals in 82 games in a 30 team league...

So, nice job Brian, but not as remarkable an NHL record, given the circumstances, as it could have been.

[jkr]

The guy is only 20 minutes away from the second longest streak of all time and he was third string in Phoenix.

I saw Boucher interviewed and he mentioned that he had gone 85 games without a shutout & he could not really explain the streak.

I am starting to watch Phoenix results on the ticker now. I hope he gets that next 20 minutes at least. It makes the season more interesting. Teams and players go on streaks that generate buzz but will have little impact in the post season.

[Montrealer]

Full congratulations to Boucher, it's a psychological feat for sure with all the pressure.

Still, makes you wonder if the nets shouldn't be a teensy bit bigger....

-5 Shutouts in a row, great job!
-Every goalie's SV% over .900 except 2 or 3 a season, all demotion/Europe candidates

Compare that to the eighties
-5 Shutouts a season, great job!
-Every goalie's SV% under .900 except 2 or 3 a season, all Vezina candidates...

[seventeen]

Weird. That's the only explanation. I doubt he's suddenly become a juggernaut. He'll probably go another 200 games without a shutout, and that will be in both the NHL and AHL. Nice, aren't I?

For reference, see Giguere, JS.

[Deleted]

Spotnick said:

Remember when [...] and that-goalie-from-St-Louis-I-can-never-remember-his-name did 3 shutouts in a row in the playoffs and everybody said it was incredible...

Brent Johnson?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Perspective please!

...the NHL's practice of dating "modern" NHL records from the 1943-44 season when the red line was added tends to diminish all previous accomplishments of the great players of the past, while leaving the impression the hockey of that era really wasn't very good. Even the phrase "Original Six" is not entirely accurate, because the Blackhawks, Rangers, Leafs, Red Wings, Bruins and Canadiens were not the Original Six or anything close to it; they were merely the teams that survived the Second World War.

The shutout record belongs to Alex Connell, whose six straight shutouts and 461-minute, 29-second scoreless streak for Ottawa in 1927-28 is as good as it gets, whether forward passes in the attacking zone were allowed or not. If you're going to qualify Connell's record by saying it wasn't "modern-era" then you also should qualify Boucher's accomplishment by pointing out that goaltenders of Connell's era did not wear masks or pads the size of a Zamboni.

- the full hot Toddy