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Goalie Martin Brodeur had a 22-season career in the NHL, playing all but the last for the New Jersey Devils. As a rookie, May 27, 1994 marked the end of the line. Nine years later, in 2003, Brodeur started his team off right in the Stanley Cup finals they would go on to win.

At the end of the 1993-94 regular season, Brodeur took home the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top NHL rookie. The Devils (with 106 points) finished second to the New York Rangers (with 112 points) in the Atlantic Division.

When the two faced each other in the conference finals, they battled to the bitter end. The first, third, and seventh games of the series extended into double overtime. After the Devils won Game 1 (4-3), they lost the next two games (including a 4-0 shutout and the 3-2 double overtime loss). Bouncing back, the Devils won Game 4 (3-1) and Game 5 (4-1). New York won Game 6 to force a deciding Game 7.

On May 27 at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers had the only score until less than eight seconds remained in regulation. New Jersey’s Valeri Zelepukin snuck in a tying goal as the clock ticked down. It took 24:24 of overtime before the tie could be broken. Rookie Brodeur had made 46 saves, but somehow he missed the puck that Stephane Matteau wrapped around the net. As the New York Daily News recapped, “Fetisov slid in the crease to try and block. Brodeur, on his knees, laid his stick flat to cover as much of the net as he could. The puck somehow squeezed off or under Fetisov, off or under Brodeur and between his pads.” Brodeur commented, “I didn’t see the puck where it went. I just tried to cover the net.”

Matteau had also scored the game-winner during Game 3’s double overtime. “I realized what I did as soon as I scored in Game 3, but I still don’t believe what happened out there in Game 7.” Matteau remarked, “It’s going to take a while to sink in. I only know it was a huge goal for the New York Rangers.” Radio announcer Howi Rose just called, “Matteau, Matteau, Matteau!”

According to the New York Daily News, 22-year-old Brodeur was “practically inconsolable. He bent over for a long time after the red light went on. He cried a little on line during the post-game handshake.” Veteran defenseman Ken Daneyko sympathized, “Marty’s going to be a great goaltender for a long time. He’s going to be around for a long time. That was a really crushing goal to see that go in.” Their teammate, winger Randy McKay, gave Brodeur much of the credit for how well they did. “Marty’s unbelievable for such a young kid. He’s calm and composed. He made some key saves to keep us in the game tonight. He made the saves at the right time in order for us to win the game. We just didn’t finish any of our chances.”

When the game finally ended, Mark Messier accepted the Prince of Wales Trophy on New York’s behalf. The Rangers advanced to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1979. There, they defeated the Vancouver Canucks for their fourth Stanley Cup championship, the only one since 1940.

Brodeur’s turn came in 1995, when the Devils won the Stanley Cup for the first time. He and his team won another championship in 2000.

The Devils again made it to the Cup finals in 2003. Brodeur earned the William M. Jennings Trophy (having the fewest goals scored against) and the Vezina Trophy (as top goalie). During the first round of playoffs, he had two 3-0 shutouts (on April 13 and 17) to eliminate the Boston Bruins (4-1). Brodeur began round two with a 3-0 shutout (on April 24) and went on to eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning (4-1). Round three against the Ottawa Senators took seven games. Brodeur shut them out of Game 3 (on May 15) with a score of 1-0.

The Stanley Cup finals began on May 27. Before the sellout crowd at New Jersey, 31-year-old Brodeur blocked all 16 shots on goal by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Grant Marshall made a goal between the two by Jeff Friesen to give the Devils yet another 3-0 shutout. Ducks coach Mike Babcock bemoaned, “I knew it was going to be tough to generate offense against them. But I thought it was going to be tough for them to generate offense against us, too. That was the part I wasn’t expecting.” Brodeur explained, “We need to put doubt in their minds that this is going to be a series and they’re not going to walk all over us like they did the other teams they played.”

Two days later, the Devils duplicated the score with Brodeur making another 16 saves for his shutout. They lost the next two games in overtime but came back to win Game 5. The Ducks forced a Game 7, held June 9, which the Devils ended their favorite way – 3-0. For the Cup-winner, Brodeur made 24 saves.

Brodeur was only the second NHL goalie to earn a shutout in all playoff rounds throughout one postseason. After Game 1, he commented, “What I’ve accomplished right now, it’s a lot of a great ride, and I hope it’s not going to be over soon.”

All but the first of Brodeur’s shutouts that postseason took place in New Jersey. Brodeur’s record of seven shutouts in a single postseason still holds. He had one more than Dominik Hasek obtained (in 2002) and two more than his opponent, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, had (in 2003). Both Brodeur and Giguere had three shutouts in a single series that season, which tied the record. When Brodeur retired, he had 24 playoff shutouts (one more than Patrick Roy’s record) and 125 career shutouts. Both records still stand.

Additional Sources:
In her personal history, Kyle Hurst hated her toe picks and wanted to skate on a hockey team like her brother. With age comes wisdom, and realizing how poorly she skates, she now much prefers watching the professionals. Writing about history for her day job, Kyle enjoys combining her two loves by writing hockey history. She still hates toe picks.

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