This Day in Hockey History – April 17, 1997 – Nothing But Net

Apr 17, 2020

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For Martin Brodeur, it wasn’t enough to strive to be the greatest goaltender of his generation. He wanted to be the greatest offensive goalie as well. On April 17, 1997, he took the first step in succeeding when he scored an end-to-end empty-net goal. His was the fifth goalie goal and the second scored during a playoff game. During his career, he would become the only goalie credited with three goals.

At the end of the regular season, Brodeur led the league with a 1.88 goals-against average and was second in save percentage with .927. Both were his career best.

The playoffs began with a sold-out game at the Continental Arena at East Rutherford, New Jersey. After the Devils took an early 2-0 lead in the first period, they fell apart in the second. Everyone agreed the only reason things didn’t go worse was because Brodeur held the Montreal Canadiens off to two short-handed goals.

His captain, Scott Stevens, admitted, “It was a terrible second period. We put a lot of pressure on Marty. He really kept us in the game, and we can’t afford to do that every night.” Brodeur was a bit alarmed. “We got caught a little bit in the second period not playing the way we should have. I was concerned when they tied it. You don’t want to lose a lead. We were careless a little and they came back. They’re so skilled offensively.”

Fortunately for them, the Devils turned it around in the third with Bill Guerin scoring the game-winner off a rebound at 5:19. By the time the Canadiens pulled Jocelyn Thibault from the net in the final minute, the home team was up 4-2.

As the clock ticked down, the desperate Canadiens shot in Brodeur’s direction, and he stopped it behind his net. Staring down at the other empty net, Brodeur did what he had wanted to do his entire (four-year) professional career. As the Record snarked, “Brodeur got control of the puck near his net, and anyone who’s ever seen him in this situation knew what he was going to try to do.”

Brodeur described his thoughts at the moment, “When I went behind the net, I had trouble controlling the puck. I was freaking out when I shot it and it went over everyone. I saw John MacLean with his hand up, so I knew it had a chance.” The puck flew across the ice over the blue lines. As the recap described, “The puck landed, slid, and finally nestled in Thibault’s vacated cage” at 59:15. Brodeur was glad that “Guys in front of me went on the side and I saw it go in.”

The crowd went crazy, and Brodeur jumped up and then laughed. Brodeur decided to keep his stick and the puck as mementos. “I was freaking out. It was unbelievable.” Since the game was televised back in his home province of Quebec, Brodeur noted, “It was due to happen. I’ve tried it enough. A lot more people than I know probably saw it live, but it doesn’t really matter what team the goal was against. I’m happy about it, but it ends there.” The Montreal Gazette made him first star.

Brodeur’s goal was the second scored during playoffs after Philadelphia’s Ron Hextall was the first on April 11, 1989. Stevens happened to be at both events, but that time he was on the losing side (playing defense for the Washington Capitals). He remembered that he was the one who shot that puck to Hextall. After Brodeur matched the feat, Stevens said, “I know with Marty now, when it’s a two-goal lead I’m going to let him get the puck and just get out of the way.”

New Jersey ended up eliminated Montreal after only allowing them one victory (in triple overtime in Game 4). However, they lost the next round 4-1 against the New York Rangers. Brodeur had had five wins and five losses with a save percentage of .929 and a goals-against average of 1.73.

After that, Brodeur went on to earn credit on two more goals. On February 15, 2000, he was credited with the game-winner when he was the last to touch the puck before Daymond Langkow accidentally put the puck in the empty net during a delayed penalty call. Then on March 21, 2013, Brodeur became the only goalie credited with scoring on another goalie. Dan Ellis was on route to his bench from a delayed penalty call and couldn’t return in time to block Jordan Staal’s pass into their net.

Brodeur has also been on the receiving end as the only goalie to have both scored on an empty net and to have been benched when another goalie scored on his. In NHL history, Brodeur scored three of the fifteen goalie-credited goals for New Jersey, which has also had three against them. Thus, the Devils have participated in nearly half of all goals credited to goalies.