The 50 Greatest Ottawa Senators Of All-Time: #20 – #11
By Jack Leiper
18. Patrick Lalime
Stats: 283 GP
Height/Weight: 6foot3, 189lbs
Acquired: Trade with Anaheim (for Ted Donato and Antii-Jussi Niemi)
No Senators goaltender has played as many games, and no Senators goaltender has won more games.
Looking at it on paper, Patrick Lalime seems to be the best Ottawa Senators goaltender of all-time. And going by that standard, it would seem as though the Ottawa Senators have never had a franchise goaltender. Which is quite possibly true.
There’s no question that the best goaltender to appear in a Sens uniform was Dominik Hasek, but that was only for 43 games and that’s also why he’s ranked #42 on this list. And while Lalime is not the best goaltender in Senators history, his longevity is certainly the best.
Lalime had peaks and valleys. His early playoff performance in the 01-02 season saw a series vs Philadelphia where Lalime had three consecutive shutouts, leading to a 3-1 series lead. The Senators would play 12 playoff games that year, eventually bowing out to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second consecutive year.
It would be those same Maple Leafs who defeated Lalime again in 2003-04 when an eastern conference powerhouse Senators team couldn’t handle the Leafs through 7 games. Of course, that’s when Lalime allowed an infamous goal by way of a Joe Nieuwendyk “squeaker”.
Lalime was a likeable goaltender during his time in Ottawa. If for nothing else it was due to his colourful Marvin the Martian mask. He played the majority of his career in Ottawa, but would also spend time in St. Louis, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Chicago. The Lalime era ended when sub-part playoff performances punched Lalime a ticket to St. Louis.
The Lalime era was a frustrating one. The Senators had an incredible roster and were certainly ready to contend. It didn’t happen and although Lalime wasn’t able to bring success in way of the post-season, his regular season play earns him a healthy spot on this list.
Next: #17: Speedy Forward, 35 Goal Marker