Dan Bouchard Of The Atlanta Flames Stands Tall for First NHL Shutout

Starting your NHL career as a goaltender on a 1970s expansion team wasn’t for the faint of heart. Just ask Dan Bouchard, the rookie netminder for the Atlanta Flames during the 1972-73 season. Bouchard routinely faced a barrage of shots that year, seeing 40 or more pucks in eight separate games. But on December 13, 1972, he not only weathered the storm, he silenced it.

In a clash at the legendary Detroit Olympia, the Flames and Red Wings entered the contest with identical records at 12 wins apiece. By the final buzzer, the rookie from Val-d'Or, Quebec had earned his first of 27 career NHL shutouts, stopping all 46 shots fired his way in a gritty 2-0 win.

It was a true test of fortitude. Marcel Dionne led the Red Wings with six shots, while Mickey Redmond, Tim Ecclestone, and Thommie Bergman each had five. Opposing goalie Roy Edwards had a solid night himself, stopping 25 of 27 shots, but Bouchard was simply unbeatable.

The Flames got all the offense they needed from Curt Bennett, who scored both goals, his first at 14:52 of the opening period and the insurance marker midway through the third. Both goals were assisted by Bill MacMillan and Keith McCreary, giving Atlanta the edge over their Original Six opponents.

Interestingly, this wasn’t the first shutout in franchise history. That honor belonged to PhilMyre, who blanked the New York Islanders on November 16, 1972, making 25 saves in a 4-0 win at Atlanta’s Omni Coliseum.

About Dan Bouchard

Dan Bouchard played 655 regular season and 43 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1972-73 and 1985-86 with the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets. Originally, he was a second round pick by the Boston Bruins at the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft after a year of major junior with the London Knights.

Hockey Trivia Quiz Time

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our Hockey Trivia website!

The first quiz is based on the content above. The second is on Dan Bouchard's NHL career, in general.

Dan Bouchard's First NHL Shutout – Trivia Quiz

1. Who did Dan Bouchard earn his first NHL shutout against?
   New York Islanders
   Toronto Maple Leafs
   Detroit Red Wings
   Montreal Canadiens


2. How many saves did Bouchard make in that shutout?
   34
   40
   46
   50


3. Which Atlanta Flames forward scored both goals in the game?
   Bill MacMillan
   Curt Bennett
   Keith McCreary
   Rey Comeau


4. What team did Phil Myre shut out for the first Flames shutout in franchise history?
   Vancouver Canucks
   New York Islanders
   California Golden Seals
   Minnesota North Stars


5. Where was Bouchard’s shutout game played?
   The Omni Coliseum
   Montreal Forum
   Detroit Olympia
   Boston Garden

Dan Bouchard – NHL Career Trivia Quiz

1. Which team drafted Dan Bouchard in the NHL?
   Quebec Nordiques
   Boston Bruins
   Atlanta Flames
   Montreal Canadiens


2. With which NHL team did Dan Bouchard finish his career?
   Calgary Flames
   Winnipeg Jets
   Quebec Nordiques
   Boston Bruins


3. In what year did Bouchard represent Canada at the Canada Cup?
   1972
   1976
   1981
   He never played in the Canada Cup


4. What was the highest number of wins Bouchard recorded in a single NHL season?
   22
   26
   29
   31


5. Which NHL team did Dan Bouchard never play for?
   Calgary Flames
   Atlanta Flames
   Quebec Nordiques
   Vancouver Canucks

Michel Goulet’s Game-Winning Surge Lifts Nordiques in 1983-84 Season

In the heart of the 1983-84 NHL season, Michel Goulet was on an absolute tear. On December 10, 1983, he capped a seven-game winning streak for the Quebec Nordiques with a two-goal, one-assist performance against the Los Angeles Kings at the Forum. Quebec skated off with a 6-4 road win, thanks largely to their high-flying left winger.

Goulet’s second goal of the night, and 18th of the season, came on the power play. Assisted by Dave Pichette and Anton Stastny, it marked his fifth game-winning goal in just six games. That surge helped propel him to 16 game-winning goals on the season, tying Phil Esposito’s NHL record, originally set in both 1970-71 and 1971-72. That record still stands today.

The 1983-84 campaign would turn out to be a career year for Goulet: 56 goals, 65 assists, 121 points in just 75 games.

Still, this memorable night in Los Angeles might have gone the other way if not for Quebec goaltender DanBouchard, who stood tall under pressure. Bouchard faced 45 shots and made 41 saves, including several key stops against Marcel Dionne, who fired eight shots and scored once. Kings netminder Mike Blake, on the other hand, had a rough night, giving up six goals on only 24 shots.

About Michel Goulet

Michel Goulet played 1,089 regular season and 92 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Quebec Nordiques and Chicago Blackhawks. He topped the 50 goal plateau four times with Quebec and finished his career with 548 regular season markers. He also surpassed 100 points on four occasions.

Originally a first round pick by the Nordiques at the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, Goulet was coming off a season in the WHA with the Birmingham Bulls. Previously, he'd played major junior with the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL. Michel was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998. 

4 Big Name Goalies to Come out of the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft

When it comes to goalies and the NHL Draft, it’s a pretty bitter relationship to say the least. Goaltenders are rarely picked high in the draft and the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft was no exception. Just one goalie was picked in the first round, Ray Martyniuk was the fifth overall selection by the Montreal Canadiens. The Flin Flon Bombers goalie never saw action in the NHL. In fact, of the 12 goalies chosen in the entire draft, five never played in the NHL and eight saw less than 100 games. Therefore, just four of the 12 made a career of it.

Dan Bouchard

Dan Bouchard was the second highest picked goalie in 1970. The London Knights goaltender was chosen in the second round by the Boston Bruins, 27^th overall. Bouchard never played for the Bruins but did have a successful lengthy 655 game career in the NHL, starting in the 1972-73 season.

The expansion Atlanta Flames gave him the shot he needed to be a regular goalie in the league. He played with the Flames for the team’s entire existence in Atlanta. In his first year with the Calgary Flames, 1980-81, Dan was traded to the Quebec Nordiques after playing 14 games in Alberta. Bouchard played with the Nordiques until the end of the 1984-85 season and had one last NHL season with the Winnipeg Jets in 1985-86.

Billy Smith

The fifth round proved to be the goaltenders round in 1970. Billy Smith was the 59^th overall pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the fifth. Billy played just five games with the Kings before becoming the backbone of the backend of the New York Islanders for many years to come. Billy played 680 games over his career and is now enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Gilles Meloche

Not far behind Smith in that fifth round was Gilles Meloche. Meloche was the 70^th overall pick, going to the Chicago Black Hawks. With a similar start to his career as Billy Smith, Meloche played just two games with the team that drafted him before becoming the number one man with the California Golden Seals in 1971-72.

Gilles played 788 games in net during his career that lasted until the end of the 1987-88 season. Meloche is regarded as the greatest goalie in Minnesota North Stars history. Along with the Black Hawks, Golden Seals and North Stars, Gilles Meloche also played for the Cleveland Barons and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ron Low

Ron Low was drafted way down in the eighth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs, 103^rd overall. Despite his low ranking, Ron made a decent career of it in the NHL, playing 382 games between 1972-73 and 1984-85. A bit of a travelling man, Low played for the Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques and New Jersey Devils.