Belfour, Halpern Share Weekly Honours

NEW YORK (April 5, 2004) -- Washington Capitals center Jeff Halpern, who led all NHL players in scoring with eight points (four goals, four assists) and a +8 rating in four games, has been named the NHL's Offensive Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, April 4.

Belfour was named the NHL's Defensive Player of the Week. (Getty Images/NHLI)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ed Belfour, who moved into a third-place tie with Jacques Plante on the all-time victories list after going 3-0-0 with a 0.67 goals-against average, a .971 save percentage and two shutouts, has been named Defensive Player of the Week.

Florida Panthers center Olli Jokinen (3-5--8 in four games) and Vancouver Canucks center Brendan Morrison (1-6--7, +8 in four games) were runners-up for offensive honors, while Canucks goaltender Dan Cloutier (4-0-0, 1.25 goals-against average) and New York Islanders defenseman Adrian Aucoin (4-1--5 in three games) were runners-up for the defensive award.

Halpern had multiple points in three of four games, beginning with one goal and two assists in a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins March 30. He tallied the tying goal in a 3-3 draw at Boston April 1, notched two goals in a 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers April 3 and earned a pair of assists in a 4-3 loss to the Penguins April 4.

Halpern led the Capitals in scoring this season, tallying a career-high 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 79 games. The Potomac, Md., native finished the season with a flourish, recording 6-8--14 in his last 10 games.

Belfour stopped 23 of 25 shots in a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers March 29 and stopped 17 shots in a 2-0 victory at Buffalo April 2. He notched his second consecutive road shutout over a Northeast Division rival with a 28-save performance in a 6-0 victory at Ottawa April 3, tying Jacques Plante for third place on the all-time victories list

(435) and Martin Brodeur for eighth place in career shutouts (75).

Belfour finished the season with a 34-19-6 record, a 2.13 goals-against average, a .918 save percentage and a career-best 10 shutouts in 59 games. He finished second in the League in shutouts and tied for third in victories. The Maple Leafs (45-24-10-3, 103 points) earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and host the Ottawa Senators Thursday in Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarter-Final.