This Day in Hockey History – May 29, 1996 and 2001 – Goalie Keeps Going and Going

May 29, 2019

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Patrick Roy, the goalie who holds the record for most playoff games (247), just happened to reach milestones on May 29 in both seasons the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup.

Two big moves in the 1995-96 seasons contributed to the Stanley Cup victory. First, the Quebec Nordiques moved and became the Colorado Avalanche. Then, in December 1995, Colorado traded with the Montreal Canadiens for Roy after he made clear his wishes to move on. “I guess in Montreal I was carrying too much on my shoulders and at the end, it was getting harder and harder to accept to lose. I have never been able to accept to lose.” Roy continued, “I could never accept just trying to make the playoffs. My objective has always been to win the Stanley Cup, and Montreal’s objective this year was just to make the playoffs. I didn’t agree with that.”

In their first season in Colorado, the team finished the regular season with 104 points, second only to the Detroit Red Wings (with 131 points). Winning 4-2 in each series, the Avalanche passed the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks to play Detroit in the conference finals.

Going into Game 6, the Avs led the series 3-2. Denver’s McNichols Arena hosted a crowd of 16,061 watching to see if the new team would advance to the Stanley Cup finals. Captain Joe Sakic explained, “This is all new to people in Colorado, but I think they can feel the championship fever. They never had a championship hockey team here, and we want to be the first.” He went on to score his 16th and 17th playoff goals, a total that only two others in NHL history had topped.

That game, on May 29, 1996, was Roy’s 132nd playoff game. He had tied Billy Smith’s record dating back to 1987. Roy would go on to set a much higher career playoff record. Thanks to Roy’s 23 saves, Colorado won 4-1 and advanced to the Stanley Cup finals. Writing for the Detroit Free Press, Mitch Albom stated, “Colorado won because its goalie was great, while Detroit’s goalie was only good.” After the game, Roy wore a big smile as he said, “I don’t have to talk because it’s easy to see I’m happy, right? It’s unreal. When a team like Montreal gives up on you, you want to prove that you still have good hockey in you.” He had commented earlier in the series, “I’m more focused in the playoffs. Concentration comes a lot easier. I enjoy myself more in the playoffs because there’s pressure. There’s always the possibility it’s going to be the last game and I love to play in that situation. Also, I had the chance to win two Stanley Cups and I feel like I have a chance now, so why not go for it?”

With Roy manning the net, the Avalanche swept the Florida Panthers to win their first Stanley Cup championship. Roy only allowed four goals throughout the series. The last one got past him at 11:19 of the first period of Game 3. He held off all comers through three overtime sessions in Game 4. Throughout the 1996 postseason, Roy played 22 games (16-6), with three of them ending in shutouts. His save percentage was .921, and his goals against average was 2.10.

Colorado again made the Stanley Cup finals in 2001, after sweeping the Vancouver Canucks and defeating the Los Angeles Kings (4-3) and St. Louis Blues (4-1). For the finals, the Avs faced the defending champions, the New Jersey Devils, with Roy’s rival, Martin Brodeur. Still, with 25 saves, Roy shut them out 5-0 in Game 1.

On May 29, Game 2 took place at Denver’s Pepsi Center. That marked the first time in NHL history that a goalie played 100 consecutive playoff games for the same team. Even as he set that record, Roy missed another by only one minute and 41 seconds. Back in 1925-26, Clint Benedict had set the record at 229:22 for the most minutes without letting in a goal during the Stanley Cup finals. When New Jersey’s Bob Corkum scored at 14:29 into the game, Roy’s scoreless streak ended at 227:41. As Ken Daneyko said on behalf of the Devils, “When you go that long without scoring against a quality goaltender like him, you start to get a little doubt.” Once they scored that first goal, they were able to score again before the first period ended. Roy made 18 saves, but the damage was done since the Avs had only scored one goal about six minutes into the game. Losing the game also broke Roy’s winning streak at nine finals games. He had won every finals game dating back to Game 2 in 1993.

The team who lost Game 2 of the finals had only managed to win the Stanley Cup four times in the past 29 seasons. One of those times was the previous year when the Devils lost Game 2 but won the Cup. Roy and the Avalanche managed to do the same. Colorado won Game 3, lost the next two, had a 4-0 shutout in Game 6, and won 3-1 in Game 7. Roy had played in 23 games (16-7), tallying four shutouts. His save percentage was .934, and his goals against average was 1.70. He earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP as the first to receive the award three times.

Throughout his 19-season career, Roy participated in 17 postseasons, a record he shares with Brodeur. The first nine, he played with Montreal, and the latter eight with Colorado. He led his teams to two Stanley Cup championships each, one more than Brodeur. Roy holds the record for most playoff saves (6,559) and most playoff shots against (7,143). In addition to his record for most playoff games (247), Roy also has the most playoff wins (151).