Thursday, April 05, 2007

 

NHL: Martin Brodeur Sets Wins Record for Goalies*

by Jes

Martin Brodeur
(c) Getty Images
So, the mainstream media and NHL are making a big old deal about Martin Brodeur breaking Bernie Parent's record for wins in a single season thanks to Brodeur's W in tonight's game over the Flyers.

Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils had a record-setting night against the worst team in the NHL.

Brodeur surpassed Bernie Parent, Philadelphia's stalwart Stanley Cup-winning goalie, for wins in a season with 48 and the Devils clinched the Atlantic Division title with a 3-2 win over the Flyers on Thursday night.

"I think with him being an icon as far as goalies for the Flyers, to go into Philly and do it here, I couldn't write it a lot better than that," Brodeur said.

Brodeur stopped 34 shots, including a breakaway in the second, to break the 33-year-old record in the city where Parent led the Broad Street Bullies to two Stanley Cup championships. While some retired stars want to see their records stand forever, Parent said before the game he was rooting for Brodeur.

"This is his year," said Parent, his retired No. 1 hanging from the rafters. "He's played fantastic hockey. It couldn't have happened to a more fantastic individual."

Parent sent a personal note that Brodeur said he would read at home.
What is on the note? "YOUR RECORD IS TAINTED" ??

Look, anyone with some semblance of individual thought knows that Brodeur's record is a sham. Parent, classy as he is, has a right, if he wishes, to be pissed off that he's lost his record thanks to the advent of the shootout.

Over at The Fanhouse, JP offers his take:
Brodeur has won a League-high 10 of those games in shootouts. Bernie Parent won, well, none of his games in shootouts, but did tie a dozen games that year -- games that would have gone to the shootout had they existed. It's a safe bet that Parent, that year's Vezina Trophy winner as the League's best goalie, would have won enough of those shootouts that we wouldn't even be talking about Brodeur closing in on his record right now, much less tying or breaking it.

... is the record legitimate or does it deserve the dreaded asterisk?

An asterisk? No, I don't believe that's quite right. The record is tainted, yes, but not because of Brodeur's doing.

You know how baseball has 'modern' records and 'old time' records? Perhaps the NHL should adopt a classification for New NHL records, such as Brodeur's wins record. The New NHL has added a whole new whack of oddities to the mix, and manipulated the standings. Having a team achieve 100 points in a season isn't quite the achievement it used to be. Instead of a bunch of *****, just have a New NHL set of records for some categories, and another for traditional records.

Anyone got a better idea?

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Comments:
It should also be noted that Brodeur's padding is considerably larger and lighter than Parent's. There's a huge difference between how much net was covered back in the day by legends like Parent and Dryden compared to recent guys like Brodeur and Roy.
 
While the criticism is valid, Jes said it best, what can Brodeur do about it?

When Gretzky broke scoring records, people didn't think they were tainted because he got to play more games. People generally justified it by saying players/goalies were better and that levelled the playing field.

Regarding Dear Lord Stanleys comment about equipment, I can say that Parent never had to face Crosby, Ovechkin and Jagr on a regular basis. The point is that records over a long period of time are all subjective, there's too many variables that change over time.

This record won't last long anyways. It's entirely possible someone hits the 50 win mark next season. Hopefully it's Marty :)
 
what about the 82 game season, you dont think that matters too? lol. who is the nhl's record holder for oldest rookie? he ain't got no asterick, and his record will stand forever.

rules change. marty's mark is not a smuge on bernie, it is the bar of excellance for luongo and ryan miller, and ben bishop.

that is what records are far, to be aimed at by the current generation.

70 year old drunk guys are what "how things used to be and just how great keith magnuson was" thinking
 
It was all fun and games for Bernie Parent until Joe Watson poked his eye out.
 
I think the big sham here is that the league in it's infinite incompetence didn't reclassify Parent's record back when OT came into being. Simply put no one would be discussing the situation if the records were 'Most Regulation Wins in a Season' and 'Most Wins in a Season.'

Now in the era of the Neutered Hockey League, some feel that Marty's accomplishment is tainted. What Marty has accomplished is incredible and should no way be tainted.

And I'm a Flyer fan of 40 years.
 
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