Skip to content
Flyers
Link copied to clipboard

Bryzgalov sets Flyers shutout mark in win over Islanders

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Ilya Bryzgalov may not view the universe the same way as everyone else, but he is a realist. He knew his gleaming shutout streak would come to an end at some point. Like batting in baseball, goaltending is usually nothing more than an exercise in futility.

Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov set a new franchise record for consecutive scoreless minutes on Thursday night. (Kathy Kmonicek/AP)
Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov set a new franchise record for consecutive scoreless minutes on Thursday night. (Kathy Kmonicek/AP)Read more

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Ilya Bryzgalov may not view the universe the same way as everyone else, but he is a realist. He knew his gleaming shutout streak would come to an end at some point. Like batting in baseball, goaltending is usually nothing more than an exercise in futility.

"If you thought they weren't going to score another goal on me," Bryzgalov said, "you were mistaken."

Thursday night, Bryzgalov's flawless run did finally come to a close. But not until after he was able to set a Flyers shutout streak record of 249 minutes, 43 seconds. He was beaten twice in the third period as the Flyers held on for a 3-2 win at the decrepit Nassau Coliseum.

"What record?" Bryzgalov asked, apparently unaware of his new place in franchise lore.

Michael Grabner's goal with 6:30 to play prevented Bryzgalov from setting a franchise record of four consecutive shutouts - even though his streak spanned parts of five games since he was last scored on, with 11:13 remaining in the Flyers' March 6 win over Detroit.

After Grabner and John Tavares scored in a span of 45 seconds in the third period, the staggering Flyers regrouped for Bryzgalov's seventh straight win in net.

Bryzgalov shattered John Vanbiesbrouck's 12-year-old franchise record shutout streak of 227:40 with 8:32 remaining in the second period. Vanbiesbrouck set the franchise mark from Oct. 17 to 26, 1999.

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said he "never saw someone run [up] that many scoreless minutes" in his coaching career.

"I think it's not for me," Bryzgalov said humbly. "I think it's a great team accomplishment. I know I was not alone on the ice. It is a team thing. And I think the whole team deserves it. I just want to say congratulations to the organization and all players who played these games."

Bryzgalov also set a new personal-best mark with just 28 seconds to spare, beating his previous streak of 249:15, set with the Anaheim Ducks in the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Bryzgalov, whose streak does not rank in the top five in league history, was still more than another complete game away from former Flyer Brian Boucher's modern-day NHL record of 332:01, set in 2003-04 with the Phoenix Coyotes. Ottawa's Alex Connell holds the NHL's all-time record of 461:29, a 1927-28 run that probably will never be broken.

The Flyers were thankful to hang on for the important two points, which kept them firmly in fifth place in the Eastern Conference heading into this weekend's showdowns with Boston and Pittsburgh. But if the Flyers had it their way, Bryzgalov's shutout streak would still be ticking.

"I think it's pretty cool [for Bryzgalov] to have a record like that," Claude Giroux said. "It's not easy to do. We'd love to have given him a shutout again. We've got to find a way to make sure that one is 3-0 and it stays like that."

Scott Hartnell said there was a lot of chatter on the bench to keep the Islanders pinned in their own end so Bryzgalov could get the record.

Bryzgalov appreciated his teammates' effort in front of him. Laviolette called it a "good team effort," though his Flyers were out-chanced, 13-10, by the scrappy Islanders.

"It's nice when your team supports you," Bryzgalov said. "As you can see, they're blocking the shots, they're diving to block the shots. I think they've played unbelievable. I'm really happy for all our team."