‘Dominator’ Sets Mark With 6th Shutout Of Month

Dominik Hasek doesn’t usually think about shutouts, but this time he had no choice.

Back in the form that earned him the nickname “The Dominator,” Hasek became the first NHL goaltender since the 1928-29 season to notch six shutouts in one month as he led the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-0 win over the visiting Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.

Michael Peca scored two shorthanded goals for the Sabres and Randy Burridge added a power-play goal.

Last season’s league MVP made 36 saves in posting his fourth shutout in his last six starts.

“It’s a great feeling for me,” Hasek said after tying the record. The shutout “wasn’t our goal for this game, but I thought about it for the last couple of games.”

The last goaltender to have six shutouts in a month was George Hainsworth in 1928-29, when the forward pass wasn’t allowed in the offensive zone.

“I have no idea who this guy is,” Hasek said of Hainsworth, who holds the NHL record of 22 shutouts in one season.

Hasek’s shutout broke the modern record of five in a month set by Jim Carey in March 1996 and Tony Esposito in February 1974. In December, Hasek allowed 22 goals.

Hasek stopped 15 shots in the second period, eight of which came with Ottawa on the power play. Sergei Zholtok had two of Ottawa’s best chances during the period, hitting the goalpost on a power play on one and being stopped by Hasek from the slot on the other.

Other games

In Detroit, Steve Yzerman reached another career milestone as the Red Wings extended their season-high unbeaten streak to eight with a 5-2 win over the ailing St. Louis Blues.

Yzerman had two assists, moving him ahead of Alex Delvecchio for second place on Detroit’s career list. His 826 assists are second to Gordie Howe’s club-record 1,049 and rank 15th on the NHL list.

In Dallas, Craig Johnson and Dan Bylsma scored third-period goals 46 seconds apart and goalie Stephane Fiset was perfect over the game’s final 58:13 to help the Los Angeles Kings to a 2-2 tie with the Stars.

Tony Hrkac scored both Dallas goals in the first period for his first two-goal game since 1991.

The Stars marked the return of high-scoring center Mike Modano following a 10-game injury absence, but Modano went scoreless. Modano was the league’s top scorer when he tore knee ligaments on Dec. 3. When the injury first occurred, Stars medical personnel said Modano could be out for as long as six weeks, but he beat projections for returning by more than two weeks.

Ron Hextall stopped 27 shots and the Philadelphia Flyers scored four first-period goals to beat host Vancouver 8-0 and take over the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Flyers’ captain Eric Lindros led the way with four assists, while John LeClair scored twice, including his 30th of the season, marking the third straight year he has reached that plateau.

Penguins lose Straka

Pittsburgh Penguins center Martin Straka will be out four to six weeks after breaking his right foot during Monday’s game against the New York Islanders, the team said.

Straka, in his sixth NHL season, played in all of the Penguins’ 40 games before being hit on the foot by a shot.

He has seven goals and 11 assists, and leads the team with three short-handed goals.