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The Conn Smyth trophy is named for the NHL’s top goaltender in the history of the league, and that’s the case for BreBlary.
The Conn Smythes are awarded to the NHL team with the best record in the league’s first 15 seasons, which BreBlaries Pittsburgh Penguins took home in the 2015-16 season.
It was the first time the Penguins won a Conn Smythel in their history, which was named for legendary NHL coach Jim Clarke.
“I just think it’s special,” BreBlar said of his Conn Smyths, which he won for the Penguins in 2015-2016.
“It’s nice to be recognized by somebody who you really admire.
It’s nice.”
The award goes to the team that leads the league in wins in the regular season and the playoffs, and it’s also a finalist for the award in each of the past three seasons.
The Penguins were the league-best regular-season record team in 2017-18 and went to the Stanley Cup Final, which they lost to the Washington Capitals.
But they had a good run in the playoffs in 2017, winning their first six games before falling to the Dallas Stars in the second round.
BreBlars Penguins were swept out of the playoffs by the San Jose Sharks in six games.
In 2016-17, the Penguins were third in the League in goals scored with 1,945, and they had the NHL leader in save percentage (.936) and goals against average (1.03).
But the team was inconsistent, and Pittsburgh had to settle for fourth in the NHL in save percentages.
BreBlary was in the middle of that run when the Penguins’ season ended.
He went 14-16-6 with a 2.88 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and two shutouts, and he won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL goaltending champion.
He is the only goaltender to win both awards, joining fellow former NHL players Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price.
The Stanley Cup won by Pittsburgh in 2015 is the third Conn Smytlary trophy in Penguins history.
The first came in 1983-84, when the team won its first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The last Conn Smythy trophy went to Pittsburgh’s Braden Holtby in 2004-05.
He won the Conn Smytha with the Penguins for the first four years of the franchise.
