This Day in History- Tony Esposito Records 15th Shutout

52 years ago today, March 29, 1970, Chicago Blackhawks great, Tony Esposito, recorded his 15th shutout of the season in a 4-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. At the time, Tony recorded the most shoutouts in a season since 1929- a span of 41 years. Esposito played 886 games, all but 13 with the Blackhawks. He had 423 wins against 306 losses with 152 ties. Esposito tallied a career Goals Against Average of 2.93 and a Save Percentage of .906. Although those numbers don't scream Vezina Trophy in today's numbers, those were incredible numbers considering the style of game play and tiny size of goalie pads. It was truly a goal scorers game back then.
Esposito's accomplishments are a stark reminder of where the Blackhawks currently sit with their goalie situation. Gone are the days of Glenn Hall, Tony Esposito, Ed Belfour, Antti Niemi, Corey Crawford and even the short lived Marc-Andre Fleury.
Enter the rebuild and a rotating cast of goalies trying to earn the right to be the sentry between the pipes. Come back to HAWKSINSIDER for an in-depth look at the goalie situation. Until then, enjoy the greatness that was Tony Esposito: