Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2006 3:28 am Posts: 28541 Location: PORTLAND, ME
Personally, I'm upset I couldn't see his number being raised. I'm a bruins fan, hate the habs with everything I got (more than the yankees, steelers and lakers combined), but I've always loved Dryden and his incredible career. Yes it was short, but has anyone ever been so good and then just walked away. I wore number 29 when I played goal (or 24 when 29 wasn't available b/c it looked similar). Sorry to get off track, but the man's number was retired last night in Montreal, and it barely gets any attention here in the States and it really makes me sad. Here are some stats for those that have no idea what I'm talking about.
Dryden's NHL career was extremely short: only seven full seasons (He won 6 stanley cups in his career). Therefore, statistically he did not amass record totals in most categories. As he played all his years with a dynasty and retired before he could pass his prime, his statistical percentages are unparalleled. His regular season totals include a .790 winning percentage, a 2.24 goals against average, and, most incredibly, losing only 57 games while recording 46 shutouts in 397 total games. No other modern goaltender has ever been even remotely close to earning nearly as many shutouts as recording losing games. He won the Vezina Trophy five times for allowing the fewest goals and in the same years was selected as a First Team All-Star. Despite the comparative brevity of his career, in 1998, he was ranked number 25 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
Elias says:
Quote:
Dryden's .758 regular-season career winning percentage (258-57-74 in 397 games) is the best of any goaltender in NHL history who appeared in at least 300 games. In fact, it's over 100 percentage points higher than the next-best mark, that of Gerry Cheevers (.651).
Just how dominant were Dryden and the Canadiens in the 1970s? Perhaps this will give some perspective: Ken Dryden's longest regular-season losing streak was a mere two games, and it was not until the 228th game of his career that he did it for the first time! (Dryden lost two consecutive decisions only six times overall.)
Dryden made his NHL debut for the Canadiens on March 14, 1971, and 11 weeks later he recorded his 12th win of the 1971 postseason -- a 3-2 victory over the Blackhawks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Over the last 60 years, the only other goaltender to win the clinching game of the Stanley Cup Finals and do so in his first season in the NHL was Cam Ward of the Hurricanes last June.
espn.com:
Quote:
After winning all six regular-season games he played when he was called up in March 1971, Dryden led Montreal to a stunning first-round playoff upset of the Big Bad Boston Bruins of Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito.
Bolstered by his unexpectedly sensational goaltending, the Canadiens went on to win an improbable Stanley Cup. Dryden backstopped four straight Stanley Cup championships at the end of the decade and his career -- during his Canadiens career from 1970-79...
He won 80 of 112 playoff games, including 10 shutouts, while maintaining a 2.40 GAA in the postseason.
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 6:18 pm Posts: 5622 Location: hiding amongst the chimpanzees
shinkdew wrote:
You forgot to mention he led Cornell to a national championship. And he wrote a great book titled, "The Game".
Montreal is going to run out of jersey numbers. There are only 10 jerseys left from #1-20.
That's why they all wear numbers like 72 and 49 in Montreal
"The Game" was an incredible read. I wish he was still part of the Leafs management
_________________ Twenty years for nothing, well that's nothing new, besides, No one's interested in something you didn't do Wheat kings and pretty things, let's just see what the morning brings.
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