On the way to Patrick Roy’s wins record…there happens to be one small milestone for Martin Brodeur to pass and that is win 500. Win 499 came last night in a 13 save effort in the Devils’ 4-1 victory over the Flyers. So what would win 500 mean if he gets it on Saturday against the Isles?? Well, a .500 record for the Devils and somehow I think Marty would prefer that over the individual accomplishment.
That look is sheer determination. There is a reason why Brodeur has 499 wins…is he has that rare ability to turn the switch on and off. On the rink, he is as intense as can be…but off it he is extremely personable. If you have ever watched him on the bench when he is resting for the night (rare I know)…just look at all the funny faces he makes. You would think he was the class clown or something. I had remembered seeing somewhere on YouTube a collection of all the funny face moments. It lasted about 3 minutes and had me in stitches.
What is funny is that the media really isn’t making a big deal about win 500 and honestly, I like it. It gives someone like me a chance to reflect on something I never thought I would see in my lifetime…a goalie approach Patrick Roy’s record of 551 wins. Occasionally I do wonder if we’ll ever see anything like this ever again. Think about it….it would take fourteen 35 win seasons just to get to 490 wins….that is a long time to last in the NHL for a goaltender especially when jobs aren’t always the most secure. The goalie has to start kind of young too..so that he can overcome the inevitable aging process that seems to be relentless once they hit 35. Also, goaltenders usually bloom a little later than most…so that doesn’t help either. So the window will always seem closing with a record like this…very similar to a .400 batting average in baseball or the 56 game hitting streak.
The fun part for me is to be able to say hey I saw this in my lifetime. I have been lucky enough to see some of the greatest goalies of all time…Hasek, Roy, Brodeur, soon to be Luongo, etc. Sure it would have been great to see Sawchuk, Plante, Parent, et al….but this has been a treat for me. So to think, all these great goalies and yet Brodeur is just one away from 500 wins. That is pretty damn amazing.
So with Scott Stevens day on FSNY yesterday…why not take a bit of a look back at the milestones of Brodeur.
- 1st Win: 3/26/92 Vs. Boston
- 100th Win: 1/14/97 Vs. Boston
- 200th Win: 4/14/99 Vs. Buffalo
- 300th Win: 12/15/01 AT Ottawa
- 400th Win: 3/23/04 AT Florida
- 500th Win: 11/17/07 AT Philly *
When will Brodeur get his 500th? I surely don’t know but I think the real pressure starts mounting when he gets closer and closer to 551. Hence the question marks….I don’t want to jinx it in the least. In all seriousness, I think it is a very safe bet that Brodeur is starting tomorrow evening against the New York Islanders. Good luck Marty!
