Late in Saturday’s game against the Maple Leafs, the Canucks watched as James van Riemsdyk tipped home a Morgan Rielly shot to cut Vancouver’s lead to 2–1. While the Maple Leafs pressed hard over the final few minutes, the Canucks ultimately held on for the win. In terms of the outcome of the game, the goal didn’t end up mattering.
But in terms of history, it did matter. It mattered a lot.
Forget about the Canucks honouring Daniel Sedin for hitting the 1,000-point mark. That was impressive and all, but there are 87 members of that club. It’s not all that rare. Sedin isn’t even the first to accomplish the feat among people with his exact DNA sequence.
No, we’re talking about real history. Somebody who has a chance to enter truly uncharted territory.
We’re talking about Jacob Markstrom‘s shutout streak.
Or more specifically, we’re talking about his lack-of-shutout streak. Markstrom has now played 128 NHL games without one. That leaves him just four games short of matching Pokey Reddick’s all-time record for most games played in a career without recording so much as a single shutout.
When you think about it, that’s pretty amazing. Reddick’s 132-game career was played between 1986 and 1994, which largely overlaps with the highest-scoring era in NHL history. Markstrom’s streak dates back to 2010, meaning it takes place entirely during the Dead Puck Era. It shouldn’t be possible for a modern player to break a 1980s record for goaltending futility; that would be like somebody coming along today to challenge Wayne Gretzky’s scoring marks.
And that makes Markstrom’s streak an accomplishment worth recognizing, even celebrating. Preferably now, before he inevitably gets a shutout in the next few starts and ruins it.
So today, let’s take a look at Markstrom’s quest for the record from a couple of different angles. And we’ll start with the man he’s chasing.
The record-holder
Pokey Reddick was awesome.
If you were around during those days then you already know that, but it’s worth noting just in case. He was small even for his era at just five-foot-eight, meaning he had to actually move his limbs to make a save, which made him all sorts of fun to watch.
Tut, tut.... competing to see who can be the biggest troll of the Canucks, I see. Murray probably still edges it, eh.... As I Canuck fan lo these 47 years, I've a fairly thick skin.... but being trolled by Laff fans such as you, sort of takes the Cup (though I actually remember the last time the Laffs one... in black-and-white... Ulman, Ellis, Horton, Keon, etc... Hewitt etc ... so, I'm old...). Otherwise, keep up the good work. I figure you Laff lot are about where we where in the West Coast Express days, just as the Sedins were beginning to emerge... I do not wish you better luck, of course. :-)
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