There was a little hockey history made tonight at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Goaltender Martin Brodeur recorded his 552nd career regular season victory, overtaking his childhood hero Patrick Roy for 1st overall on the all-time list. Brodeur had tied the record on Saturday in an emotional game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Brodeur stopped 30 of 32 shots to post the victory. The Chicago Blackhawks, hoping to avoid being a footnote to this piece of hockey history, threw the full arsenal at Brodeur, and fans at the Prudential Center were holding their collective breath as Chicago’s Dustin Byfuglien got Chicago within one with just over two minutes remaining.
With the NHL record for career wins now under his belt Brodeur can now switch his focus to chasing down Terry Sawchuk’s record for career shutouts. Sawchuk had 103 donuts in his Hall of Fame career, but Brodeur is breathing down his neck, having recently posted his 100th career shutout.
This latest accomplishment just pours more fuel on the fire of the Brodeur vs. Roy debate. Look for that debate to rage on well after Brodeur has played his final NHL game.