We have such skilled offensive players, but they’re really buying into playing team defence on top of that. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Bet you didn’t know his real first name was Walter, though, did you? In his only full season with the Maple Leafs, Fuhr compiled a record of 25-33-5, and allowed 230 goals, which is a Leafs record for most goals allowed in a season. She believes in dominance on the blue line, good red wine, and the theory that you can never be too overdressed for any occasion. Of all the playoff stat lines in the history of the league, Sawchuk's performance in 1952 stands above the rest. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto The 1967 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1966–67 season, and the culmination of the 1967 Stanley Cup playoffs.A best-of-seven series, it was contested between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs.The Maple Leafs won the series four games to two. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Had he been more reliable, had the club had more faith in his go-to worthiness, Andersen might have been granted more nights off, been better rested for the post-season and perhaps the world would have spun on a more fortunate axis for Toronto. Bower, a beloved two-time Vezina Trophy winner who helped the Leafs win their last Stanley Cup … Vancouver believes it has Thatcher Demko poised to become a No. 5: 30: Gord McRae: 1948: 71: 3.50: 0.885: 30: 22: 1: 3792: 0: 0: 0: 6: 31: Jirí Crha: 1950: 69: 3.98: 0.883: 28: 27: 0: 3935: 0: 1: 1: 12: 32: Bernie Parent: 1945: 65: 2.59: 0.915: 24: 25: 3: 3748: 0: 1: 1: 6: 33: Glenn Healy: 1962: 65: 2.91: 0.887: 23: 30: 2: 3649: 0: 1: 1: 2: 34: Tim Bernhardt: 1958: 61: 4.27: 0.867: 17: 31: 0: 3455: 0: 3: 3: 4: 35: Peter Ing: 1969: 59: 3.95: 0.880: 16: 31: 1: 3308: 0: 0: 0: 6: 36: … The Pennsylvania native is considered one of the best American-born goaltenders in the history of the sport. The Boston Bruins defeated Toronto 5-1 in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal on Tuesday night, sending the Maple Leafs into the offseason alongside the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets. It’s ancient history now but should be noted that Hutchinson, going 4-9-1 in support of Andersen a year ago, got the assignment on the back end of back-to-back sets in those first five losses, all but once against opponents that hadn’t played the night before, with a tired team in front of him and facing more high-danger shots, as metrically measured, than anyone other than Corey Crawford. It's hard not to get caught up in all of this hoopla surrounding the Leafs. The Hall of Famer posted a .934 save percentage and four shutouts during the run. It helps, as well, that the Barrie-born Hutchinson is calm by nature, psychically predisposed to roll with the punches in a career that has dragged him across a dozen cities in five leagues. “There’s definitely a different feel this year.”. Michael Hutchinson has one of the worst seats in the house to watch the feverish Leafs attack. Jose Ramirez, Franmil Reyes isolated after violating protocols, Creighton players: McDermott's 'plantation' remarks hurt us, Patrick Mahomes in walking boot following toe surgery, Alex Ovechkin: Tom Wilson's suspension is a 'joke', Iowa to retire Luka Garza's number at end of season, NBA will not require players to get COVID-19 vaccine. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the, The Maple Leafs stickhandle lockdown life while NHL arenas slowly open south of the border, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star at Devils 5, Lightning 2: Taylor Hall had a goal and two ... scored four times in the third to beat ... for the most in franchise history with the 2000-01 squad that hoisted the Stanley Cup. Yet the pint-sized goalie with the big heart became a part of Maple Leafs lore. Edmonton and Calgary have had the same problem for some time. If you have a lot of time in between games, as a goalie sometimes you get too puck-focused, watching the puck when it’s in dead zones. While he never hoisted the Memorial Cup, Crosby posted another incredible year further cementing himself as the no-brainer No. He was unfortunately never awarded a Stanley Cup, though; he played most of his career for the dismal Maple Leafs. Sometimes, the goaltender ends up being the leader of a championship run. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Before arriving at the top three, it’s worth noting some honorable mentions: Mike Palmateer, Jacques Plante (who played in his 40s) and Terry Sawchuk. 87 comments In 5 games with the Red Wings, Robby Fabbri has tied his point total from last season (6 points in 32 games) with the Blues In 18 seasons, the organization has made the Stanley Cup Playoffs 10 times, including 7 of their last 10 seasons. The first winner of the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (AAA), champions of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada for 1893. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about The last came in 1966 … Bower, a beloved two-time Vezina Trophy winner who helped the Leafs win their last Stanley Cup in 1967, died on Tuesday. Probably not that simple. Yet the pint-sized goalie with the big heart became a part of Maple Leafs lore. Andersen, mended from his lower-body ailment, took the cage in Edmonton on Wednesday as the Leafs continue to grind through an eight-day road trip out west. Gardiner remains the last goalie to be captain of a Stanley Cup winning team, leading the Chicago Blackhawks to victory in 1934 with a 1.33 goals-against average and two shutouts. With all the accolades and records, it is no wonder that Martin Brodeur also had some killer postseasons under his belt. Yet the pint-sized goalie with the big heart became a part of Maple Leafs lore. In that 1997 playoff run, Vernon led the Red Wings by registering a 1.76 goals-against average in those playoffs. 2 of 18 Martin Brodeur , … It's no wonder he won the Conn Smythe despite his team losing. Of course, the Red Wings are roughly 7.5 times more likely to win the Cup than the Preds, but the good news is that they are effectively picking us to make the playoffs (we’re in a 3 way tie for 7-9th most-likely-to-win in the West) and again finish second in the division. On Saturday night, a Montreal goal that cut the Maple Leafs' lead to 4-3 in the second period was initially upheld. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Crosby, as we all know, has gone on to have a tremendous NHL career scoring 1263 points in 984 games en route to a future spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The franchise first emerged in the NHL in 1998 and since then has fought hard for a winning pedigree. He not only posted eight wins in eight games, but he also notched shutouts in four of those starts and allowed only five goals in the entire stretch. Before Campbell’s acquisition, backup had been a boneyard for the Leafs, Hutchinson among the shambling aspirants who stumbled through the frame as mismanagement lost Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard on waivers, Garret Sparks turned out to be a bust — purged completely from the dressing room at one point — while the likes of Michal Neuvirth and Kasimir Kaskisuo barely registered as footnotes. “And you can take that to the rink. In the 1999 playoffs, after which he hoisted the Stanley Cup, Belfour posted a .930 save percentage and 1.67 goals-against average for the Dallas Stars. Vernon hoisted two Stanley Cups in his career, but his second with Detroit came after the superior performance. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Little things like that last year, for whatever reasons, when things went wrong they were amplified. Steve Babineau/National Hockey League/Getty Images, Steve Babineau/ National Hockey League/ Getty Images, Jeff Vinnick/National Hockey League/Getty Images, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, The most bizarre moments in NHL playoff history, The top player performances in NHL playoff history, The 'NHL Goalies with the most postseason wins' quiz, NBA world reacts to Stephen Curry winning three-point contest. The 2011 postseason was a big one for the Boston Bruins, who avenged missing the playoffs the previous season by winning a Stanley Cup. “They really play team defence so that they’re not giving up many odd-man rushes,” Hutchinson was saying down the blower from Edmonton, as the Leafs prepared for a third straight confrontation with the Oilers — the opponent they’d shut out twice consecutively in the previous five days. Big goals are the big standouts when it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but to make it all the way to the Final, it also takes an out-of-this-world performance from the player between the pipes. The challenge for most of the Canadian teams in the North Division will be playing good enough defense to make a run at the Stanley Cup, and that starts between the pipes. Instead, forced to shore up the net, general manager Kyle Dubas swung a trade deadline deal for Jack Campbell and Hutchinson turned into a practice goalie for the Avalanche. What do you think of Leafs goalie Michael Hutchinson this season? The Edmonton Oilers had a heavy burden to carry after Wayne Gretzky departed for Los Angeles. Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. The Predators rode the stone wall that was Pekka Rinne to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. Broda led the Leafs to five Stanley Cup titles and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967. And many would say — in fact they did say, endlessly, bellicosely — that Hutchinson was directly to blame for much of what went wrong for the Leafs in 2019-20. A former No. 1 overall pick, Fleury was no stranger to playoff success before heading to the desert for the Golden Knights' inaugural season. Turk Broda: He was the winningest goalie in Leafs history, and hoisted the cup five times. Hutchinson will likely get the call Thursday in Vancouver. Bower, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner who helped the Leafs win their last Stanley Cup … To order Emailed daily. Here’s a compelling stat: Last season, Toronto’s backup goaltending was 7-12-2, with a 3.47 GAA and .891 save percentage. But the pint-sized goalie with the big heart went on to become part of Maple Leafs lore. The 2001 Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche were a pretty stacked team, but they wouldn't have gone all the way without Roy's incredible contribution. Ken Dryden is another netminder who had an amazing team that played in front of him, but that doesn't take away from the six Stanley Cups he helped the Canadiens win — particularly in 1977 when he tallied four shutouts. If, by seat, one is referring to his standup spot between the pipes, some 200 feet away from where his team does its lights-out business. While he can hardly smell the high-octane fumes at that distance, the once-and-again Toronto netminder is in awe of his ’mates. And nobody’s hatin’ on him anymore either. You don’t really look off the puck to see where the other guys are and what angle they’re shooting with. With 16 victories and racking up 574 saves and four shutouts during the playoffs, Richter led the New York Rangers to a championship in 1994. 3 to No.1 for Colorado when injuries knocked out Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz, winning two games in the Western Conference semifinal as the Avs drew even with Dallas, before bowing out in a 5-4 Game 7 OT defeat. The Lightning’s Steven Stamkos played exactly two minutes and 47 seconds in the 2020 playoffs, but never has so much been done by one man in such little time. Of all the numbers that Giguere put up in the playoffs, his stat line from 2003 is still the most impressive. Cheevers and his legendary goalie mask had a heck of a Boston squad playing in front of him in the early 1970s. 13. Always free! All (The others are Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby). Except Hutchinson has been pretty stalwart in his Second Coming: 3-1 through four starts as both starting and backup goaltending was thrown into disarray by injury, with a 1.77 goals-against average and .943 save percentage. We let in a late goal, we were battling, trying to get the puck past a very hot goaltender, and we were able to bear down and not get frustrated and win in overtime. Bower, a beloved two-time Vezina Trophy winner who helped the Leafs win their last Stanley Cup … This season entering Wednesday: 6-1-0, 1.58 GAA and .946 save percentage. But he’s more appreciative of what the players have shown when the puck enters his zone. Of all of his appearances, the most impressive came in the 1961 playoffs when he allowed only 26 goals in a 12-game stretch on his way to winning the Stanley Cup with Chicago. As backup to Freddie Andersen, Hutchinson came a cropper, losing five in a row out of the chute. While Nashville lost to the Penguins, Rinne posted a .930 save percentage, 1.96 goals against and recorded two shutouts in the playoffs. On February 7, 1976, Sittler broke the record for most points in … Yet the pint-sized goalie with the big heart became a part of Maple Leafs lore. In any event, while the Leafs were banished in the play-in round by Columbus, Hutchinson — blissfully, redemptively — played on, hoisted from No. In the 1999 playoffs, after which he hoisted the Stanley Cup, Belfour posted a .930 save percentage and 1.67 goals-against average for the Dallas Stars. Maple Leafs: Qualifiers loss: 5.00: ... only one goalie has won the Stanley Cup as the league’s highest-paid player at that position: Los Angeles … In winning his third Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003, he set the single playoffs record for shutouts at seven. The most up-to-date breaking news for the Toronto Maple Leafs including highlights, roster, schedule, scores and archives. “The offence has always been … well … what it is. He didn’t wi… Although he won a Cup with Anaheim in 2007, it wasn't the same as the 1.62 goals-against average, .945 save percentage and five shutouts he registered for the Ducks in '03. Chelena Goldman grew up on a street where the boys played street hockey and yelling at baseball and football over the radio was a standard -- making life as a sports geek the perfect fit. From Quiz: Great Maple Leafs (click to play it). He kept up his end of the bargain by keeping the puck out of the crease, especially in 1970 when he posted 12 playoff victories. And most assuredly, rediscovering self-confidence in the playoffs is significant. This year we have that mentality where we don’t get bothered by things.”. This past season, the Predators had their brightest season to date by reaching their first Stanley Cup finals in history. 12. Parent often shined bright for the Philadelphia Flyers, but his performance in the 1975 postseason — going 10-5 with four shutouts — was possibly his finest. He remains one of only three players to win back-to-back Conn Smythe Trophies. In his 21 seasons — 1949-50 to 1969-70 — in the NHL, the Hall of Fame netminder won four Vezina Trophies (1951-52, 1952-53, 1954-55, 1964-65), was an 11-time All-Star, and hoisted the Cup four times (three with the Detroit Red Wings, one with the Toronto Maple Leafs). He’s lovin’ it, all of these days. Veteran big man Blake Griffin expected to sign with Nets? rights reserved. When you’re playing a lot, it just happens, you get the flow of it. Felix Potvin (1991-1999) Although not one of the Leafs’ best goaltenders statistically or style-wise, … He led the Maple Leafs to two consecutive Conference Finals (1998 and 1999), helping win over a generation of fans. To order copies of Good days, bad days, enjoy every opportunity that you get.”. At the helm of that effort was Tim Thomas, who clobbered the competition with a 1.98 goals-against average and .940 save percentage, plus four shutouts. When you’re not, it’s something you have to remind yourself, because it’s a good habit.”. Well, he didn’t waste his time, focusing on his soft spots under the tutelage of goalie coach Jussi Parkkila in Colorado and working with Steve Briere and Jon Elkin over the balance of his time in Toronto, between the Leafs and the Marlies, before that. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be registered Torstar account holder. They rose to the occasion and won the Cup in 1990 with MVP Ranford leading the way with a 16-win playoff run in which he made 613 saves. The Leafs have the second most Stanley Cup championships in league history behind the Canadiens (24) with 13 titles. He’s been further grounded by marriage and fatherhood, wife Jenna expecting the couple’s second child in July, and nearly two-year-old Lilah at home. “In Colorado, one of the big things was Jussi telling me to read the play. However, the dream of becoming the second team — after the 1942 Maple Leafs — to rally from 0-3 down and win the Stanley Cup was quashed by … NASHVILLE, Tenn. — P.K. He would also finish his career with 447 total wins, putting him at No. You realize your hockey career isn’t forever, so you enjoy every moment you have coming to the rink. Plante is mostly remembered for being the first goalie to wear a mask, in 1959 — and for then being ridiculed for refusing to play without the face gear. You can find her gabbing away on Twitter at @ChelenaGoldman. “You’re able to escape hockey and just enjoy the real moments in life,” says Hutchinson. Same with Buffalo and Carolina. Felix “The Cat” Potvin finished third in voting for the Calder Trophy for his rookie season (behind Teemu Selanne and Joe Juneau) in 1992-93. As dominant as that showing was, it wasn't as remarkable as Fleury's first season away from Pittsburgh was. Republication or distribution of this content is Sadly, Gardiner had been playing sick through the entire playoffs due to a tonsil infection. This year when things go wrong, we have the confidence that we’re going to overcome the adversity thrown at us. With the Stanley Cup final tied 1 … “We realized that I was at my most successful when I moved on my feet, stayed on my feet as much as possible,” Hutchinson explains. In doing so, they won their thirteenth Stanley Cup championship. Question by author mrgrouchy. But the pint-sized goalie with the big heart went on to become part of Maple Leafs lore. (Heck, he had to battle Martin Brodeur at the other end of the ice!). The condition resulted in a coma and fatal brain hemorrhage just two months after Chicago won the Cup. Campbell was in and back out again, re-aggravating a leg injury in his 4-0 appearance against the Oilers on Saturday. In getting Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season with the club, Fleury posted an absurd .947 save percentage and 1.68 goals-against average with a 12-3 record, posting four shutouts in romping through the Western Conference. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. The 1938 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-five series between the Chicago Black Hawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs.Chicago won the series 3–1 to win their second Stanley Cup.With their record of 14-25-9, they possess, to date, the lowest regular-season winning percentage of any championship team in the four major professional sports leagues, and are the only ones to do so with a losing record. The just turned 31-year-old has a distinct perspective on these Leafs after returning to the fold last October, having been jettisoned in trade some eight months earlier. Subban says ask the Pittsburgh Penguins if he’s getting under their skin. However, Plante silenced those who called him weak when he led the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup victory. In any event, while the Leafs were banished in the play-in round by Columbus, Hutchinson — blissfully, redemptively — played on, hoisted from No. Which has been Winnipeg — Jenna owns a bakery there — although the family will be reconvening in Toronto for the new baby’s birth. The Maple Leafs ranked third in the league in scoring last season (3.39 goals per game), but the Canucks (3.25) and Oilers (3.14) were not too far behind. Bower, a beloved two-time Vezina Trophy winner who helped the Leafs win their last Stanley Cup … Although the common refrain to that was: Wait, what? Jordan Nolan, who played 14 games for the Blues after spending last year with the Sabres, lifted the Cup for the third time after winning with Los Angeles in 2012 and 2014. The Leafs were hoping he would provide stable goaltending for years to come, but unfortunately Fuhr's time in Toronto only lasted a season and a half. Hasek's name is remembered in the long stretch of playoff appearances for the Detroit Red Wings mostly for the six shutouts he registered in the 2002 postseason en route to winning it all. From journeyman to hero to free agent to Maple Leaf redux. He points to last week’s 2-1 squeaker over Calgary, the much-maligned William Nylander scoring with 1:28 left in the third and 1:06 into OT, Hutchinson earning the W. “Perfect example. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Belfour posted consecutive playoff masterpieces between the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 campaigns. Hutchinson had half of that action for his sixth career bagel. 1 goalie … Here are 16 netminders who carried their teams to the Stanley Cup Final. A three-time Stanley Cup winner already with the Penguins, Fleury was brilliant in 2008, posting a .933 save percentage and 1.97 goals-against average with three shutouts. 1 selection in the NHL draft. Glenn Hall's playoff repertoire spanned almost two decades.