16 February 2023 , 17:31
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Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram made history in the National Hockey League on Wednesday night, recording 47 saves in his first-ever career shutout.
It's not often that games end goalless after regular time in the NHL, so rare that you'll average odds of 100/1 in the event of such an outcome. But a 0-0 certainly wouldn't have been the case if Ingram wasn't on form against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Coyotes managed to take the win after edging the visitors 2-1 in the shootout.
The Coyotes were huge underdogs on Wednesday as they welcomed the Stanley Cup winners from 2021, but Ingram put on a show in front of his home fans. 47 saves is a new NHL record for the amount of stops made during a first-career clean sheet, and he eclipsed team-mate Karel Vejmelka's total set back in 2021.
It was Ingram's first ever career shutout in the NHL on Wednesday, where he managed to keep the likes of Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov at bay throughout regulation, overtime and even the shootout. Elsewhere, it was a night of offensive action in the NHL, as each of the other five clashes on Wednesday averaged eight goals a piece.
But that wasn't the case between the Coyotes and the Lightning, as both Ingram and Brian Elliott kept everything out during regulation and overtime. Elliott made 26 stops in the Lightning goal, while Ingram was much busier at the other end, keeping out a record 47 shots.
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The previous record was set by Vejmelka in 2021, as he kept out 46 efforts while also playing for the Coyotes. A 0-0 score line is very rare in the NHL, especially since a bunch of rule changes over the last 15 years have encouraged more offensive action.
But on Wednesday night the Coyotes and the Lightning proved it still can be done as the goaltenders took the spotlight while star attackers will probably be working on their shooting in days to come. The Coyotes were 18-28-8 heading into the game, but picked up an unlikely win.
The Lightning aren't as feared as they once were, as they have dipped in form slightly since missing out on their chance to complete the three-peat. They won back-to-back Stanley Cups until the Colorado Avalanche's claimed victory last season.
They're still in hot pursuit this season, but trail both the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins are running away with it this year, but as we know, anything can happen when it gets to the play-offs.