Article Written By: Adam Wible
Ben Scrivens has made a lasting impression on his new teammates, a couple weeks after being dealt from Los Angeles.
Scrivens set the NHL Record for most saves in a shutout, 59 saves in a 3-0 at home over the San Jose Sharks. Scrivens beat the previous record, held by Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith, who made 54 saves against the Blue Jackets on April 3, 2012.
Ben came into Wednesday night having three shutouts on the season, and none with his new team. San Jose came into the game, following a 1-0 loss to Los Angeles Monday.
“It’s one of those nights, it’s very fortunate,” Scrivens said. “I owe the shot-keeper a beer, I think. Every shutout you get is a team effort, and I know people roll their eyes at that, especially when shots are a bit lopsided like tonight. But [defenseman] Nick Schultz blocks a shot with five or six minutes left, and you know that shot is going in the net. I could tell that puck was going in. That’s a huge block, and you don’t get a shutout without a lot of help in front.”
Justin Schultz, Tyler Hall, and Jordan Eberle all score for the Oilers Wednesday, extending their winning streak to three games for the third time this season. They go for win number four on Saturday, on the road in Boston.
“Hats off to the goaltender. He was tremendous,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said of Scrivens. “Probably first, second and third star. If he wasn’t, he deserved it. Heck of a performance. In all my years in the league, I don’t think I’ve seen that, so give him credit.”
Scrivens had 42 saves after two periods. His season high going into the game was 38, coming against the Sharks back while he was on the Kings, on Nov. 27.
“I had an awful, awful warmup. It was an inauspicious start to it,” Scrivens said. “It’s one of those things where you try not to look at the forest while you’re in the trees. You try to focus on the process and give yourself a chance to make that save, and when the puck drops again, you try to focus on the next one and don’t try to get too far ahead of yourself.”
It looks like Scrivens was focused, there’s a bright spot between the pipes in Edmonton, we’ll see how he does the rest of the season north of the border.
In other news around the NHL.
“Car Bomb” blows up Islanders in the Big Apple
New York Rangers brawler Daniel Carcillo is one of the last players you think of when someone asks who scored the winning goal. Carcillo is more used to dropping the gloves or leveling you in open ice, than scoring. But when he does score, good things happen.
Between his time with the Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings this season, he’s scored three goals; two of which were game-winners.
“Well, he brings energy like we expected him to bring. He brings bite to that line,” Rangers Head Coach Alain Vigneault said. “That line with Brian and Dom can give us some good, greasy offensive shifts where they’re spending a little time in the other end. What they’ve done the last little while, and it’s probably why we’re winning more games right now is that you need a contribution from your whole lineup. We’re getting that line that’s scored us some big goals. Like they did tonight, that was a huge goal for us in that third period.”
Blackhawks finally end four game skidmark of a week.
Adding to the historic night, the Blackhawks finally turned things around for Coach Q.
It didn’t look good early as the Canucks scored on their opening possession 16 seconds in.
The ‘Nucks would get up 2-0 early in the second period before the flood gates opened. Chicago overcame a two-goal deficit with three goals in a span of a little more than four minutes midway through the second period to end a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 win against the Canucks on Wednesday night at Rogers Arena.
It was Coach Quenneville’s 693rd win in the NHL, moving him into sole possession of third place on the League’s all-time list, one ahead of Dick Irvin and behind only Al Arbour (782) and Scotty Bowman (1,244).
“Took a little while to get this last one,” Quenneville said with a smile.
The Blackhawks made noise making forward Brian Bickell their healthy scratch, while Michal Handzus took his spot. Bickell is in his first year of a four year, $16 million dollar contract.
“When he’s at his best, he’s doing things at a high rate of speed and he’s physical and he’s playing our team game,” Quenneville said. “We’re looking for those ingredients. We know he has them.”
Picks for Tonight
Boston 4-3, Tampa Bay 3-1, Colorado 3-2, Anaheim 4-2, Pittsburgh 3-2
Upset pick
Buffalo 4-2
