Congratulations to Marty Brodeur on winning his 552nd NHL game on Tuesday night against the Blackhawks! The win moved him past Patrick Roy for 1st place all-time among NHL goaltenders in history. This truly cements his place as the best goaltender in the history of the game. Throughout his career, he has proven to be the straw that stirs the Devils' drink.
It's scary to think where the Devils would be this year if Brodeur wasn't injured. I didn't think they'd play very well without him, but they did and having him back has only certified their place as one of the elite teams in the East. In 9 games since coming back from injury, Brodeur has only lost once. He has been phenomenal since his surgery and has found a way to keep performing despite getting older. It's been impressive to watch.
Since his first full season in 1993-94, Brodeur has always had a goals against average below 3. His highest was 2.57 in 2005-06, but he still picked up 43 wins and swept the Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. Since then, his GAA has dropped each year. That's just a statement to how Marty keeps playing better and better while he gets older.
He's only four shutouts away from being first all-time on that list as well. That would 100% cement him as the best netminder of all-time. While he may not get that this year, I certainly doubt this will be his last considering the way he's playing. He will get those four, and he will be celebrated again.
The New York-area has had its share of solid goaltenders recently (Mike Richter, Henrik Lundqvist, a healthy Rick DiPietro), but Marty Brodeur has been the one consistent member of the bunch. He's been the face of the Devils for years and for good reason. Now, he stands alone above all the others, and he deserves all the accolades!
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