Patrick Lalime

Did You Know?

• On May 2, 2002, Lalime became the fourteenth goaltender in NHL history to record four shutouts in one postseason, with a 27-save, 5–0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• He owns the Senators record for wins in a season (39 in 2002–03) and career playoff wins (21).

Pre-NHL years

Lalime played in the 1988 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Drummondville Voltigeurs minor team. He played junior hockey for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL, posting a 10–24–4 record with a 4.67 GAA and .863 save percentage in 1992–93. The Pittsburgh Penguins selected him in the sixth round, 156th overall, of the 1993 NHL entry draft. In 1993–94, he returned to the Cataractes with a 22–20–2 record and 4.22 GAA, but struggled in the playoffs with a 1–3 record and 6.73 GAA.

He moved to the Hampton Roads Admirals of the ECHL in 1994–95, recording a 15–7–3 record, 3.35 GAA, and .898 save percentage before signing with the Penguins on January 26. Assigned to the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the IHL, he had a 7–10–4 record with a 4.44 GAA and .882 save percentage. In 1995–96, he helped Cleveland reach the playoffs with a 20–12–7 record, 3.86 GAA, and .893 save percentage in 41 games, and was recalled twice to Pittsburgh as a backup without seeing action.

NHL years

Lalime began the 1996–97 season with Cleveland, then was called up by the Penguins. He made his NHL debut on November 16 against the New York Rangers, replacing Ken Wregget midway through an 8–3 loss and allowing three goals on 14 shots. On December 6, he replaced Wregget after the first period down 2–0, made 16 saves, and earned his first career victory in a 5–3 win. The next night, he started against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and made 30 saves in another 5–3 victory.

He set an NHL record with the longest unbeaten streak to begin a career (16 games, 14–0–2) before losing 4–3 in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche on January 23. During the streak, he recorded his first shutout (4–0 over the San Jose Sharks on December 13) and a 49-save performance against the Calgary Flames on January 21. He finished the season 21–12–2 with a 2.94 GAA and .913 save percentage, and was named to the NHL's All-Rookie Team. In 1997–98, unable to agree on a contract, he played for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the IHL, posting a 10–10–9 record with a 2.61 GAA and .918 save percentage.

The Penguins traded his rights to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on March 24, 1998, for Sean Pronger, but Lalime stayed with the Griffins. In 1998–99, he failed to make the Mighty Ducks and was assigned to the Kansas City Blades of the IHL, where he set team records with a 39–20–4 record, 3.01 GAA, and .900 save percentage, leading the league in wins, minutes played (3789), and saves (1708). He was named IHL goaltender of the month for March and a first-team all-star, but went 1–2 with a 2.08 GAA in the playoffs.

Mask creativity

Lalime is known for goalie masks featuring cartoon eyes. His first mask with Pittsburgh showed a penguin with its eyes peeking through ice. With the Ottawa Senators, his mask depicted the Warner Brothers character Marvin the Martian, inspired by the similarity of Marvin's costume to the Senators logo. After a poor start in St. Louis and a demotion to the minors, he returned with a different mask still featuring Marvin the Martian. In Chicago, the mask kept the Marvin theme but added an Indian headdress. With the Buffalo Sabres in 2010, his mask showed Marvin with buffalo horns.