Springfield Falcons president and general manager Bruce Landon called Brust's streak "amazing" as he went 268 minutes and 17 seconds without allowing a goal.
Abbotsford Heat goalie Barry Brust AHL's 55-year-old scoreless streak record.
SPRINGFIELD – Bruce Landon, a lifetime member of the goaltending fraternity, pondered the numbers, and said, “That’s an amazing streak.”
The president and general manager of the Springfield Falcons was talking about the scoreless string of 268 minutes and 17 seconds posted by goaltender Barry Brust of the Abbotsford Heat, a North Division member in the American Hockey League.
In that “amazing streak” which ended Saturday, Brust shattered an AHL record that had stood for 55 years. Until Brust, the record be longed to Johnny Bower, who has been elected to both the NHL and AHL Halls of Fame. He had a scoreless streak of 249 minutes, 51 seconds with the Cleveland Barons in 1957.
The NHL record for a scoreless streak – 461 minutes and 29 seconds – appears to be safe for all time. It was set in 1928 by Alec Connell of the Ottawa Senators.
Landon has an abiding interest in the feats of goaltenders, because he played the position before going into the administrative end of the hockey business.
“Any time a goaltender does what Barry did, it means that he’s not only playing solid, but the team in front of him is playing very strong as well,” Landon said.
“I say kudos to Barry. Good for him, because his streak is remarkable. It’s also remarkable that Bower’s streak lasted so long, when you consider the offensive ability of today’s players.”
Landon broke into pro hockey in 1968-69 with coach Johnny Wilson’s Springfield Kings of the AHL, at a time when the game was much different from what it is today.
“Back then, teams might have three guys who shot the puck exceptionally hard. Now, all the players shoot it like a rocket. Just watch them in warm-ups,” Landon said.
The style of goaltending has changed completely since Landon’s day.
“Coaches wanted stand-up goaltenders when I was playing,” he said. “Now, they all play on their knees, with the exception of Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils). He’s basically a stand-up type, although he kind of blends both styles. Another factor is size – goaltenders are a lot bigger today than they used to be,” he said.
Brust is an example – 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. Perhaps the most extreme in that department is Jason Missaen of the Connecticut Whale, an awesome target at 6-8, 220.
Another difference from Landon’s day – every NHL organization has goaltending coaches.
“They study the game, the styles. They watch videos. They tell the goaltenders to play on their knees, post to post. That forces the shooters to go high,” he said.
The “go high” philosophy makes the goaltenders’ masks all the more important. “Nowadays, they take a lot of pucks off the head,” Landon said.
He remembers trying one game without a mask.
“I got eight stitches, and that was the only time I didn’t wear a mask,” he said. “When you think of all the years goaltenders played without masks, it’s hard to believe.”
The goaltending mask was introduced in 1960, worn by Montreal Canadiens Hall of Famer Jacques Plante. He won a record seven Vezina trophies as the NHL’s leading goaltender.
Bower played through both eras, masked and unmasked. He had 11 seasons in the AHL before making it to the NHL, where he played for 12 more. He retired in 1970 at 45 with seven cups to his credit – three Calder Cups in the AHL, four Stanley Cups with Toronto.
Bower’s record scoreless streak was established in late November and early December of 1957. It included three straight shutouts, the middle one of which came Dec. 1 against the Springfield Indians.
Brust began his streak early in the first period of an Oct. 20 game against the Chicago Wolves. He followed that with three straight shutouts – Nov. 1 against Toronto, Nov. 13-14 against Lake Erie. His scoreless streak ended late in the first period Saturday against San Antonio.
Brust, a 29-year-old journeyman, has a 5-0-0 record and 0.59 goals-against average with an Abbotsford club that has allowed only 32 goals in 18 games. His backup is a former Falcons goaltender, Danny Taylor.
“The skill level in our league is fantastic, and that includes the goaltenders,” Landon said. “One reason for our good start is the goaltending. Curtis McElhinney has four shutouts, and Paulie Dainton has been very strong as his backup.”
By the way, today’s goaltenders don’t have to go through what Landon did in 1968, when he was a 19-year-old rookie.
“Johnny Wilson wanted me to have a tutorial with (Hall of Famer) Eddie Shore, who was running the Eastern States Coliseum at the time. He worked with me on the ice for about 40 minutes, and when we finished, he told me that I’d better learn to tap-dance or I’d never make it as a goaltender. I think he wanted me to be lighter on my feet,” Landon said.