The first goalie in Pittsburgh Penguins history to not allow a goal for over 130 minutes was Jim Rutherford, who went 132:24 in between tallies during the 1972-73 season.
In a half-century since then, eight other netminders have recorded shutout streaks of at least 130 minutes, bumping Rutherford’s first streak down to 16th.
As hockey fans across the globe celebrate goalie week, it was the opportune time to revisit the franchise’s longest shutout streaks.
5. Tristan Jarry – 161:33 (Nov 2021)
Incumbent goalie Tristan Jarry makes the first of two appearances on the list with the fifth-best shutout streak numbers at 161:33.
After a 2-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 16, 2021, where he surrendered two second-period goals, Jarry would shut out the Montreal Canadiens (6-0) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2-0), before giving up a first-period tally to the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 22.
During arguably the best stretch of hockey in his pro career, Jarry was 5-1-1 over a seven-game span, making 189 saves on 194 attempts, good enough for a .974 SV%, 1.40 GAA, and three shutouts.
4. Marc-Andre Fleury – 164:22 (Oct – Nov 2015)
Future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury owns the team record for most shutout streaks over 130 minutes with five of the top 17 spots. Moreover, out of the six netminders that reached 150 minutes, three belong to him, including his run to begin the 2014-15 season.
Interestingly, he shutout the Nashville Predators on Oct. 25 before giving up three goals to the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 28. After the Devils blew a 3-1 second-period lead, Fleury would go on to blank the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 and the Buffalo Sabres 5-0 before the Jets ended his streak with a first-period goal on Nov. 4.
Fleury went 6-0-0 during this season’s stretch, giving up seven goals (1.16 GAA) while compiling a .955 SV% and three shutouts.
3. Marc-Andre Fleury – 165:06 (Feb 2015)
If fans were impressed that Fleury’s run of 164:22 in early 2014-15 was the best he could play, they would find out just four months later that he was something special.
On Feb. 1, Fleury and the Penguins lost to the Nashville Predators 4-0, scoring a goal in every period. He would bounce back with a 2-0 shutout win over the Edmonton Oilers and then a 4-0 victory over the Calgary Flames to blank the Alberta teams in a clean sweep.
His shutout streak continued into a game against the Detroit Red Wings (Feb. 11) when it ended in the third period. Over three games, Fleury was 3-0-0, producing a .985 SV% and 0.33 GAA.
2. Tomas Vokoun – 173:06 (Mar – Apr 2013)
Tomas Vokoun played 15 seasons in the NHL, skating in 700 games, just 20 with the Penguins. At 36, he earned a 13-4-0 record while setting the then-team record for longest shutout streak at 173:06.
On Mar. 22, 2013, Vokoun gave up two goals, one in each of the first two periods, in a 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders. In his next appearance, he continued the streak with a 20-minute relief appearance for Fleury in a 1-0 win over the Canadiens.
Next, Vokoun shut out the Jets 4-0 and then the Islanders 2-0 two nights later. Unfortunately, his hot streak ended in the first period of a contest against the Sabres on Apr. 2, as he gave up four goals on 13 shots.
During these four appearances, Vokoun was 3-0-0 with just two goals against, a .980 SV%, and 0.50 GAA, stopping 100 of 102 shots.
1. Tristan Jarry – 177:15 (Nov – Dec 2020)
© Charles LeClaire – USA TODAY Sports
Despite the fanbase’s confidence in his abilities, Jarry holds the Penguins record for longest shutout streak, going 177:15 without surrendering a goal.
On Nov. 29, 2019, Jarry surrendered five goals in a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In his next appearance, he bounced back with a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues. He extended his streak with a 2-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
However, all good things must end, and Jarry’s shutout streak was broken in the second period of a contest against the Canadiens on Dec. 10. The Penguins would lose 4-1. He rebounded with a 1-0 win over the Blue Jackets to go 3-2-0 over these five games, earning three shutouts, a .947 SV%, and a 1.40 GAA.
Related: “I’m Going to Come Ready to Work”: McGroarty Aims to Make Impression in Pittsburgh
