MONTREAL -- Pete Peeters of the Boston Bruins and rookie Bob Froese of the Philadelphia Flyers, the two hottest netminders in the National Hockey League, Tuesday were named co-winners of the Player of the Month award for January.
The stingy goalkeepers became the first players to share the monthly award in its four-year history.
Other players considered for the award were center Wayne Gretzky and left wing Mark Messier of the Edmonton Oilers and right wing Rick Vaive of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Peeters, who is approaching the league record of 32 consecutive games without defeat set by current Boston coach Gerry Cheevers, posted a 9-0-2 record in 11 starts in January and compiled a 1.55 goals-against average with three shutouts and a save percentage of .922.
The 25-year-old Peeters stretched his unbeaten streak to 27 games and lowered his league-leading goals-against average from 2.65 to 2.14. A winner of 22 games during his streak, Peeters was last beaten Nov. 11 by the Quebec Nordiques.
Peeters equalled his undefeated streak of 27 games -- set as a rookie with the Flyers -- Jan. 31 in a 2-2 tie against the Winnipeg Jets.
While Peeters has been an ironman in the Boston nets this season, Froese, called up to the Flyers Jan. 7 from the AHL Maine Mariners to replace the injured Pelle Lindbergh, has allowed only 1.44 goals per game with eight wins and one tie in nine starts.
Froese recorded road shutouts against the two New York teams, the Islanders and Rangers, and posted a save percentage of .937 in nine games. He had eight consecutive victories before tying the Minnesota North Stars 2-2 on Jan. 29.
Froese was signed as a free agent by Philadelphia in June, 1981 and posted an average of 3.29 in 33 games with the Mariners last season.
