The Edmonton Oilers are happy to have Ben Scrivens.
Scrivens has been part of the Edmonton club for just over two weeks, and is already breaking NHL records with 59 saves in a Jan. 29 match against the San Jose Sharks.
Unable to solve the 27-year-old Oilers net minder, the Sharks fell 3-0 to Scrivens and his team.
With the win, Scrivens trumped the 56 saves that set the previous league record and snagged the NHL record for most saves in a regulation game shutout.
The Oilers are now on a three-game winning streak, the longest they have held so far this season.
Scrivens has so far played four games with his new team, with equal wins to losses, and holds a solid .955 save percentage and 1.76 goals against average.
http://youtu.be/fF8CORR2n5E
A taste of Scrivens’ Jan. 29 performance.
Dubbed “The Professor” for being so well-spoken, too often a rarity among hockey players, the nickname trended on Twitter in praise of the goalie’s stellar performance.
Scrivens started his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2011-2013, and was traded to the LA Kings at the beginning of the 2013-2014 season. The Oilers only got him in a two-part trade that took place mid-January, first trading veteran goalie Devan Dubnyk to the Nashville Predators for winger Matt Hendricks, then exchanging a third-round pick to the Kings for Scrivens.
The performance by Scrivens is one that could threaten llya Bryzgalov’s chance at becoming the Oilers’ number one goaltender. Signed to a one-year contract with the Oilers for this season, Bryzgalov has faced a string of criticism for unsportsmanlike antics throughout his career, including his time with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Phoenix Coyotes, and even this season with the Oilers.
Scrivens might just be the key to solving the Oilers‘ unstable goaltending, and could help boost the team’s overall performance in games to come. The Oilers currently sit dead-last in the Western Conference with just 18 wins and 42 points.
Leave a Reply