Asterisks Need Not Apply? Hardly
While perusing the NHL.com website I came across this article:
For those too lazy to read the article here is a brief summary:
Bernie Parent currently holds the all time win record in a season for goalies at 47. Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo are close enough to possibly tie or break this record this year. Brodeur has 46 wins (and 2 remaining games) and Luongo has 45 wins (3 games remaining). Phil Coffey believes that these two goalies if they break or tie the record should not have an asterisk beside the record even though they benefit from the shoot-out while Parent had to settle for ties in his era.
Now here is where this debate gets tricky in his magnificent season (73-74 with the Flyers) Parent had a record of 47-13-12. He won those 47 games legitimately without the need for the shootout.
Brodeur on the other hand has gone to the shootout 15 times this year (yes Clemmensen was in one). In which Brodeur has won 8 times. This means that if Brodeur had played in 73-74 his record to date would have been 39-23-15, coming no where near the record the Parent has posted.
As for Luongo, he has gone to the shootout 8 times this year (again yes Sabourin was in one). In which Luongo has won 5 times. This means that if Luongo had played in 73-74 his record to date would have been 40-21-11, beating Brodeur but again coming no where neat the record Parent has posted.
Now like Coffey in his article there will be chirpers that pipe up saying that the game is ever evolving and as such the records will be broken. However, I think Parent’s record should stand alone. Make a new record category to incorporate these new “wins.”
What if down the road the NHL changes the point system to 3 points for a win. Does this mean that the 76-77 Canadiens record of 132 points in a season should be able to be broken?
Does it mean that if the NHL for some asinine reason decides to award 2 points per goal and 1 per assist that Gretzky’s overall record of 2857 points in a career should be put in jeopardy?
No, on both accounts.
So why should Parent’s 47 legitimate wins be in jeopardy of being broken?
7 comments:
I actually read on TSN a quote from Brodeur defending Parent's record and saying that they shouldn't be able to break it with SO wins. So it will be interesting.
''That record, for me, is not really that important,'' he said. ''I think now, with the shootout wins and stuff like that, it kind of diminishes it a bit." -Luongo
"I don't think it's fair for some goalies who had records to be compared (to those who benefit from overtimes wins)," he said. "Definitely it's a big help to have shootouts now." -Brodeur
yeah but then you look at this
"Shootout wins are wins. We have no asterisks in our record book,” NHL Group Vice President, Public Relations Gary Meagher said.
So the record is going to be tied or broken this year
A win's a win, Parent did not have to worry about the pressure of going 1 on 1 against an opponents most potent scorers to decide if your team gets 2 points, that takes talent that he probably would have success with but did not have to deal with. Also consider the team in front of him, Parent had a more talented and intimidating team than Brodeur or Luongo, he had more protection and opposing teams were scared to do anything without getting this shit beat out of them.
to be fair to todays goalies, they have to face bigger, better athletes than the watered down mid-seventies NHL! the Habs and Flyers and Bruins were great, but the Wings, North Stars, Caps...etc. were not so great!it was probably easier to pad the stats back then with only a handful of good teams, and many bad ones!
If goalies are facing bigger better players than I have to say that players are facing far far far better goalies than they did long ago.
But I have to agree that if you played for one of the handful teams that dominated you were looking pretty even as an average goalie. You think Grant Fuhr is half the man he is today player for a brutal team? No way. He's still giving up 4 goals a game but his teams only scoring 3.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=202929&hubname=
Brodeur breaks
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