Blackhawks rookie goalies sweeping series?

[Arto Kilponen]

I wasn't sure whether this belongs to here or to Chicago section, but anyway, plain and simple:

Who Blackhawks rookie goalies have swept a series? Niemi now clearly against Sharks, but others?

edit. To make it easier, here's the other 4-0 sweeps:
1996 Flames CQF
1995 Canucks CSF
1992 Oilers CF
1992 Red Wings CSF
1972 Penguins "CQF"
1971 Flyers "CQF"
1970 Red Wings CSF

"CQF" means 1/8 finals of playoffs.

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[Kyle McMahon]

I think Tony Esposito was a rookie in 1970, having only played 13 games in 1969. In any case, it was his first playoff appearance. I don't believe any other examples qualify. Esposito was the goaltender for the two subsequent sweeps, and Ed Belfour for the remaining ones, none of which he was a rookie in.

 

[Arto Kilponen]

I think Tony Esposito was a rookie in 1970, having only played 13 games in 1969. In any case, it was his first playoff appearance. I don't believe any other examples qualify. Esposito was the goaltender for the two subsequent sweeps, and Ed Belfour for the remaining ones, none of which he was a rookie in.

Does this also mean that if we talk about goalies that have brought success to Chicago in playoffs (as playoffs are known today), it's pretty much Esposito, Belfour and Niemi, which of only Niemi was a rookie? I think that if Niemi gets one single victory more, he'll take the franchise record for most wins in a playoff season.

Pretty nice start for Niemi in Chicago. Who would have thought that when the question was not too long ago "Which one carries us in playoffs, Khabibulin or Huet?", that the answer was "an undrafted Finn"?

 

[Kyle McMahon]

You could throw Murray Bannerman's name in there, he won a few playoff series for them in the 80's. Alain Chevrier got them to an unlikely conference final in 1989, in what was his only career playoff appearance. Other than that, I think it is probably just Esposito, Belfour, and Niemi that have won a playoff series for them since 1970, and of course only those three that have got them to the final.