Anaheim Ducks: Jonas Hiller wins 14th straight game
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Anaheim Ducks won the second end of a weekend back-to-back with their 1-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. It was a close, hard fought game where the Ducks had to come up big at the end of the game to secure the victory.
In the victory, not only did goaltender Jonas Hiller notch his 23rd win of the season and third shutout, but the win was also his 14th straight in the ‘W’ column.
All though he only faced 22-shots, he dealt with a continuous Red Wing attack for the majority of the game. Being shorthanded five times, Hiller turned away all six shots while a man down. He also got the help of the goalie’s best friend, the post, as Justin Abdelkader found himself with a clear shot that rang off the iron.
After allowing three goals on 31-shots the night before in a win against the Phoenix Coyotes, thoughts were that rookie John Gibson might get his first career start, but Bruce Boudreau went with the hottest goalie in the league – with the move paying off.
Despite not having the same elite numbers that others in the top-five of wins, Hiller always does enough to come up with the ‘W’, even on days he doesn’t have his best stuff.
Tonight a flawless performance was needed, and flawless is what he delivered.
Hiller’s 14th consecutive victory puts him in a tie with Tom Barrasso, then with the Pittsburgh Penguins, for the second longest streak in NHL history. He accomplished his streak during the 1992-1993 season, where the Penguins set the record for longest winning streak.
Gilles Gilbert, then a Boston Bruin, holds the record at 17 – in which he set during the 1975-1976 season. The Ducks will face the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday, and with two days off to recuperate expect Hiller to right back in between the pipes.