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Anaheim Ducks rookie netminder Lukas Dostal became the latest NHL backstopper to make 52 saves in a 4-3 victory against the New Jersey Devils on Friday. He is on a list featuring 11 other goalies who turned away 50 shots during their first season.
However, the list trims down to eight skaters who made at least 52, while two, including a Hall of Famer, rank higher at 53. Above them is one goalie with a stellar 55-save performance and the record holder at 56.
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After his performance against the Devils, Dostal becomes the fifth 23-year-old rookie to make 52 saves in a victory. Who are the other seven rookie goalies with the most saves in an NHL game?
Most saves in an NHL win by a rookie goalie
#8. Andrei Trefilov - 52 saves (Jan. 5, 1994)
Calgary Flames defeat New York Rangers 4-1 at Madison Square Garden
In just Andrei Trefilov's second NHL game, he would set a career-high for most saves, carrying the Calgary Flames to a 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers on their home ice.
Despite giving up the matchup's first goal in the first period, Trefilov stood tall, stopping 23 shots in the first period, followed by 16 in the second and 13 in the third. He finished the night with a .981 save percentage (SV%).
According to statistics from StatMuse, it is the only time in his NHL career (54 contests) that he made 50 or more saves in a contest.
#7. Devan Dubnyk - 52 saves (Apr. 10, 2010)
Edmonton Oilers defeated Los Angeles Kings 4-3 (SO) at the Staples Center
In the final game of the regular season, Devan Dubnyk guided the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings. The visitors tallied a goal each period, while the Kings were denied 39 times before the third period.
After falling behind 3-0 heading into the third period, Los Angeles piled on the offense, scoring three times on 15 shots. By the end of regulation, Dubnyk had 51 saves, making one more in overtime before stopping two out of three shots he faced in the shootout.
In 2018, Dubnyk duplicated his 52-save performance as a member of the Minnesota Wild in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
#6. Mackenzie Blackwood - 52 saves (Feb. 16, 2020)
New Jersey Devils defeated Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 (SO) at the Prudential Center
On Feb. 16, 2020, Mackenzie Blackwood made 52 saves in a shootout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, his Devils rebounded and took a 3-2 lead before the visitors tied the game in the final period.
In the first, Blackwood made 10 saves while turning away 20 in the middle frame and had another 20 in the third. In overtime, he made two more saves to finish with 52 while stopping six of seven shootout attempts.
Thus far, Blackwood has made 50 or more saves in just one other game, representing the San Jose Sharks in a shootout loss against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 14, 2023.
#5. Lukas Dostal - 52 saves (Mar. 1, 2024)
Anaheim Ducks defeated New Jersey Devils 4-3 at Honda Center
Dostal is the latest rookie goalie to make 52 saves in a game, which included a penalty shot stop on Jack Hughes in the dying seconds of the third period in a 4-3 win.
The Ducks jumped to an early lead before New Jersey tied it in the second period. During the first period, Dostal made 18 saves, following that up with 13 in the second. Despite giving up a single goal to cut the deficit to 4-3, he made 21 saves in the final frame.
This isn't the first time Dostal has made 50 or more saves this NHL season, stopping a franchise record 55 pucks in a 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 3.
#4. Glenn Hall - 53 saves (Oct. 15. 1955)
Detroit Red Wings defeated Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 at Chicago Stadium
Glenn Hall is the only netminder on this list who won the Vezina Trophy and Stanley Cup and found himself in the Hockey Hall of Fame. As the only goalie to ever dress in over 500 consecutive games, he was just 24 years old when he set a career-high with 53 saves in a win over his future team, the Chicago Blackhawks, in 1955.
Historically, Hall achieved this milestone during the NHL's first season tracking shots. Since it was a new statistic, there is no data available to break down how many saves he had each period, just that he set the record with 53 saves that night.
In 906 games, he only stopped 50 shots on one other occasion, the second time (51) occurring against his former team, the Red Wings, on Feb. 1, 1961.
#3. Wayne Thomas - 53 saves (Mar. 10, 1974)
Montreal Canadiens defeated Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 at the Civic Arena
Wayne Thomas was a busy guy on March 10, 1974, backstopping the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, tying an NHL record with the most saves by a rookie in a win.
In the first period, where Montreal scored three goals on five shots, Thomas made 21 saves while collecting another 14 in the second. Even though each team scored a goal in the third, he faced 18 shots to finish the evening with 53, tying Hall's record, set 19 years before.
Two years later, as a member of the Maple Leafs, he backed the Original Six franchise to a 4-2 win (51 saves) over the Colorado Rockies on Dec. 19, 1976, the only other time he made over 50 saves in a game.
#2. Alexandar Georgiev - 55 saves (Feb. 10, 2019)
New York Rangers defeated Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 at Madison Square Garden
Alexandar Georgiev is one of the busiest netminders in the NHL this season and came close to tying an NHL record for most saves by a rookie in a victory, with 55 stops for the Rangers against the Maple Leafs in 2019.
New York held a 2-1 lead after the first period, with Georgiev making 21 saves. After that opening frame, he stonewalled the visitors, making 34 saves over the next two periods en route to a 4-1 win.
The Bulgarian netminder is in his seventh NHL season with 240 games played. Since that magical night in 2019, he has yet to make more than 45 saves in any other games.
#1. Mike Palmateer - 56 saves (Jan. 12, 1977)
Toronto Maple Leafs defeated Los Angeles Kings 3-2 at Maple Leafs Gardens
Mike Palmateer was 22 when he established the record for most saves by an NHL rookie netminder in a victory. During a contest between the Kings and Maple Leafs on Jan. 12, 1977, he made 56 saves to secure a 5-3 win.
After being spotted with a 2-0 lead, Palmateer made 19 saves in the opening frame while making 20 in the second period. Despite giving up two goals over the final 40 minutes, he stopped an additional 17 in the third.
Once he set the record, Palmateer never made more than 46 saves in any other contest, finishing his career with a 149-138-52 record in 356 games.
