Darcy Kuemper of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan recorded his 24th National Hockey League career shutout on Sunday. Kuemper made a remarkable 46 saves as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Calgary Flames 3-0.
Kuemper made nine saves in the first period, 15 saves in the second period, and 22 saves in the third period. Tyler Toffoli of Scarborough, Ontario led the Flames with six shots on goal. It was a strong game offensively for Nathan MacKinnon of Halifax, Nova Scotia, who scored twice, including the game-winning goal at 9:55 of the first period on the power play.
This was Kuemper’s fourth shutout of the season. He previously recorded shutouts on January 15 in a 5-0 Avalanche win over the Arizona Coyotes, on February 13 in a 4-0 Avalanche win over the Dallas Stars, and on February 16 in a 2-0 Avalanche win over the Vegas Golden Knights.
On the season, Kuemper had a record of 28 wins, eight regulation losses, and two losses in extra time. He has a goals against average of 2.47, and a save percentage of .922. Of his 24 career shutouts, 10 have been with the Arizona Coyotes, seven with the Minnesota Wild, four with the Avalanche, and three with the Los Angeles Kings.
The Avalanche have the best record in the NHL. With a record of 42 wins, 13 regulation losses and five losses in extra time, they have 89 points.
Meanwhile in other hockey news, the Buffalo Sabres beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 in the 2022 NHL Heritage Classic from Hamilton, Ontario on Sunday. Prior to the game, and during the intermission the Canadian women’s hockey team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing were honoured.
