Brodeur ties Sawchuk

Last night, Martin Brodeur tied Terry Sawchuk's career shutout record with his 103rd perfect night in net. The Devils beat Buffalo 3-0 to earn the win and shutout for Brodeur. Sawchuk recorded the majority of his 103 shutouts with a red and white sweater on while Brodeur recorded all of his in New Jersey. Sawchuk was arguably the best goalie of the past and Brodeur is arguably the best goalie of modern hockey. I hesitate to declare either as the best of all time because of the changes in the game that have occurred. Both eras are completely different from each other but both accomplishments are incredibly noteworthy as well. 

Theoretically, Brodeur may never surpass the mark but that's kind of ridiculous to think too. He's too good to not do it again and he's left his legacy before he's even done playing. The saying that you can build a team around goaltending has been true for New Jersey over the past and there is no goalie in the modern game better to build your team around than Marty Brodeur. The four time Vezina trophy winner has spent his whole career in New Jersey and has been the backbone of the team since 1993, being a reliable force at the other end of the ice for the offense to rely on. Sure, he's had his bad nights but he's had even more great nights and 103 perfect nights.

Brodeur and Sawchuk are both synonymous with the position within their respective franchises. Just as Terry's "1" hangs in the rafters at The Joe, Marty's "30" will undoubtedly hang in The Rock. Congratulations to Marty on an incredible accomplishment.