Dominik Hasek is the best netminder in Buffalo Sabres history, but you can also put him into the top five with the Detroit Red Wings. But Hasek, who arrived in the Motor City for his age-37 season, was surely past his prime, right? Or, so one would think.
But it's safe to say Hasek never had a bad season with the Sabres, Red Wings, or even in his lone stint with the Ottawa Senators. Yeah, he had a forgettable time in Chicago, but by the time he was in Detroit, you knew he was destined for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Still, you'd have thought we'd have seen the 'past-his-prime' Dominik Hasek, right? Of course not, since, throughout his 176 games with the Red Wings, he finished with a 0.911 save percentage and a 2.13 GAA. Those were all great numbers, but his 20 shutouts impressed me the most, leading to one shutout per 8.8 games.
To put things into further context, Hasek, edged out his number of games per shutout with Detroit than he did in Buffalo, where he averaged one shutout every 8.9 contests. And when you look at the Red Wings career record book, Hasek sits fifth all-time with the Wings in career shutouts.
Dominik Hasek's best season in Hockeytown didn't come until his age-42 campaign
In 2006-07, Hasek was still going strong when he played in 56 games, recorded 38 wins, a 0.913 save percentage, a 2.05 GAA, and eight shutouts. The latter put him at No. 10 all-time in single-season shutouts with the Wings, and he took fifth in the Vezina voting.
Fast-forward to his final season in 2007-08, and Hasek played like someone who could've kept going, ending the year with 41 games played, 27 wins, a 0.902 save percentage, a 2.14 GAA, and five shutouts. He ended the year winning the Jennings Trophy alongside Chris Osgood.
Overall, Hasek finished his time in a Winged Wheel as one of the franchise's most distinguished netminders, despite only spending four seasons there. No, he's not in Terry Sawchuk or Chris Osgood territory, but Hasek is someone you think of when talking about the Red Wings dynasty's later days.
He was a staple in the net for their 2002 Stanley Cup run, recording six shutouts in the 23 games he played in. And while he wasn't the main guy in the net come the 2008 playoffs, Hasek still contributed with four starts and two wins. It was also enough for him to join a rare club of hockey players who ended their careers as a champion.
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