New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur became the winningest goaltender in National Hockey League history Tuesday evening with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at the Prudential Center in Newark.A Dustin Byfuglien goal with just over a minute to go in regulation closed the Devils lead to one, but Brodeur ((pictured, thanks Chris Faytok/Newark Star-Ledger)) made a pad save with three seconds left to preserve the win.
After the final horn, Brodeur proceeded to use a pair of scissors to cut the netting from the goal as a keepsake.
He needed a little help from back-up goalie Kevin Weekes and captain Jamie Langenbrunner to pry the net from the iron.
Brodeur passed childhood idol and Hall of Famer Patrick Roy for the most career victories in league history. He made 30 saves in the win.
The victory came in Brodeur’s 987th game in a 15-year career played entirely with the Devils.
During that tenure, the likable Brodeur has led the Devils to three Stanley Cups and won four Vezina trophies as the league’s top goaltender.
Now he holds the wins record, and others could soon fall. He is within four shutouts of passing Terry Sawchuk (103) for the league record, and at 36 he has a chance to push his win total well beyond 600.
“If this continues being fun, I’ll stick around for a long time,” Brodeur said during an on-ice interview after the game.
Brodeur tied the mark in an emotional setting, his hometown of Montreal on Saturday night with Roy in attendance.
With family in the crowd in Newark, Brodeur took the ice in front of a full house that cheered him from the warmup to the final buzzer, mostly with the echoing chant of “Mart-tee, Mart-tee, Mart-tee.”
Those cheers turned to “Thank you, Marty” as the clock ticked down. Brodeur preserved the win with one last save in the closing seconds.
“Martin Brodeur is the gold standard of goaltending—the model of character, consistency and commitment to the craft,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a prepared statement. “A champion. A winner above all.
“It is difficult to imagine any player who is more universally, and deservedly, respected,” Bettman added. “The National Hockey League is extremely proud of Martin, his historic achievement and his enduring contribution to our game.”
Here's the end of the game...
"Doc" Emrick and Chico Resch on the call...
((HT: TSN/MSG+))
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