March 18, 2009, Chicago Blackhawks-New Jersey Devils game story for Metro
Marty’s moment
Brodeur passes Roy, wins NHL record 552nd game
As the final seconds dripped off the clock, so too did the men who stood in history’s path.
Ten, nine, eight ... Hall, Esposito, Plante, Sawchuck, Belfour, Roy.
Finally, fittingly, at one, there was Martin Brodeur.
The calendar may have read St. Patrick’s Day, but in Newark it was Marty’s Party as Brodeur passed Patrick Roy and recorded his NHL-record 552nd win. It may be unfair that the Devils’ 3-2 win over Chicago was an afterthought, but history is often imbalanced. The greatest goaltender the league has ever seen is now 552-293-105-22, and he got there by beating a team that hasn’t beaten him in more than 10 years.
“It was an exciting night. I [am] definitely real happy that it’s done and over with,” Brodeur said. “It’s been chaotic for me the last few days, but it was an awesome night. It was a great reception from the fans.
Brodeur tied Roy, his childhood idol, in his hometown of Montreal over the weekend. He was given Monday off to regroup for last night's game.
“It was pretty cool. I think it was cool in Montreal, but this topped it," Brodeur said. "It was fun. It was awesome.”
Brodeur pumped his fist and leapt into the air as the clock hit zero. Instantly, he was surrounded by celebratory teammates. Brodeur threw on a Devils hat and was handed a pair of scissors to cut down the net.
“It’s definitely harder than I thought. These basketball players, it’s only a little net,” Brodeur joked. “This was a big net. I had the help of a couple of my teammates. That was nice of them.”
After several minutes, Brodeur took a victory lap. He received a handshake and a word from coach Brent Sutter. As he continued around the rink, the goaltender’s father, Denis, and GM, Lou Lamoriello, were shown applauding his achievement.
“(Jamie Langenbrunner) goes ‘We’ll cut it down. Go take a lap. The fans deserve it,’ and I went over there. That was really a personal thing and it was pretty cool,” said Brodeur. “I had a lot of friends and family and I was trying to look at them in the stands while I was skating.”
Even the commissioner, Gary Bettman, was on hand to witness history.
“Martin Brodeur is the gold standard of goaltending: The model of character, consistency, and commitment to the craft. A champion. A winner above all," Bettman said in a statement. "It is difficult to imagine any player who is more universally, and deservedly, respected."
In typical Devils fashion, Brodeur disrespected the opponent. The majority of Chicago’s shots were from the perimeter leaving Brodeur a relatively stress-free night. Brodeur stopped 30 of 32 shots, yielding only Cam Barker’s power-play score at 18:28 of the second period and Dustin Byfuglien’s tally with two minutes left in the third.
The Devils eliminated any drama 38 seconds into the game with Langenbrunner’s 24th goal. Zach Parise skated down the wing, controlling the puck. Blackhawks defensemen Duncan Keith and Matt Walker were concerned about New Jersey’s 40 goal scorer and forgot about Langenbrunner, who was cruising down the slot. The Devils captain one-timed the feed from Parise past Nikolai Khabibulin for a 1-0 lead.
Travis Zajac increased the lead to 2-0 6:37 later. As Keith’s holding call expired, Zajac poked the puck under Khabibulin following a goalmouth scramble.
Midway through the second period, Patrik Elias added to the historic night with his 702nd point, passing John MacLean as the organization’s all-time leading scorer. Shorthanded due to Johnny Oduya in the box for closing his hand on the puck, Elias raced up ice and feathered a backhand pass to Brian Gionta, whose one-timer beat Khabibulin.
Elias was delighted to share the night with No. 30
"It was very exciting,” Elias said at his locker, with the record setting puck sitting to his left. “I was very pleased. I’m very happy that they acknowledged it.
“I’m second longest [tenure wise] on the team with Marty, obviously. We’ve won two Cups and I’m sure it’s a very special night for him, but it is also [for] me. Not just for the record, but everything.”
Elias would have added to his record if not for an inexplicable call by referee Tim Peel 7:20 into the third period. Elias jammed home a puck that Khabibulin had in his pads, and then lost in the crease. Peel immediately waved off the goal to the consternation of 17,625.
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 9:37 AM
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