NHL

Devils’ Brodeur goes for record shutout No. 104

The watch is on, not just to break the NHL’s career shutout record, but to certify Martin Brodeur’s place in Hockey’s Pantheon, right there with the likes of Gordie Howe, Rocket Richard and Wayne Gretzky.

It will take some ultra fast talking to deny that the Devil who is on the verge of holding all the most important records at the most important position on the ice isn’t one of the very most important players ever to lace ’em up.

Surely the top historian in the NHL today, the player who best knows hockey’s lore and legends, Brodeur says he marvels at becoming such a major figure himself in the annals of pucks and skates.

“It’s weird,” Brodeur said. “I don’t think of myself among all the names, the guys who have passed away, the people who are legends: Glenn Hall, Terry Sawchuk, Jacques Plante.

“These people made history.”

The fact is that he’s long since joined them, and now he’s surpassing them as the greatest goalie of all time.

Brodeur has been writing his own chapters of hockey history for ages now, since winning the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 1994, and his first Stanley Cup in 1995. After beating the Sabres 3-0 in Buffalo Monday, he needs one more shutout foe — No. 104 — to eclipse Sawchuk.

It is the one career goaltending record that seemed unbreakable, still standing 39 years later, longer than Babe Ruth’s 60 homers lasted before Roger Maris’ asterisk.

Five more appearances and he breaks Patrick Roy’s record of 1,029 games played, but that’s a relatively recent mark, like the Roy victory record he broke last season, now his at 575.

Brodeur says he likes the old stuff, the ones that have lasted, and especially, this one that was never going to be broken.

“Even though I never saw them play, little highlights here and there, now my name is right up there,” Brodeur said. “It’s one thing to pass them in wins, or something, but how many years was he holding on to this? Thirty-nine? That’s more [reason to be] proud.”

The fans should be coming out to Newark for the chance to watch history made, starting tonight when dead-last Carolina visits, assuming Brodeur plays. He has followed a shutout with another six times in his career, so making quick work of this chase is a genuine possibility.

“Every 10 games I get about one. There have been stretches, 30 games, without one, but the odds are more and more that you’re going to get one,” Brodeur said. “Then you feel pretty good, and the stars align that one night and it happens.

“You get to the point when you’re one [win] away, a win is pretty easy because eventually, you’ll win a game. But a shutout, I had it in my head that it could take a long time. Now I’m tied with him, but who knows when the next one will be?

“I’d love to have it right away. But right now, I’m kind of ‘Done it,’ I’m with him and I’m satisfied. It’s pretty cool. It’s hard to think ‘This is going to be the night.’ So many things happen.

“I’m looking forward to it, but everything is just gravy from now on.”

The closest active goalie, Chris Osgood, has 50 shutouts. Frank (Mr. Zero) Brimsek had 40. Tony (Tony 0) Esposito had 76. George Hainsworth had 94 before the red line, Glenn (Mr. Goalie) Hall 84 and Plante 82. Dominik Hasek is his closest contemporary at 81 and done. Among Sawchuk, Hainsworth, Hall and Plante, only Plante played while Brodeur was alive, and that only until he was one and Plante 44.

Brodeur wishes his future pursuers good luck.

“They want more goals, now that I think about it. It doesn’t go the right way for [new] goalies,” Brodeur said. “It’s a bar I put for goalies. People in the past put bars up for people to excel, and I’ve reached them and raised them up. Good for the guy who’s going to go after them.

“I’ve been having a pretty good ride. It’s been tremendous what we’ve accomplished here in New Jersey, and for myself. For any other goalie to get to the NHL records, they’ll have to be real successful. More power to them if they’re able to get there.”

Then that goalie could claim to be the best-ever.

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Brodeur’s only other shutout this season came against tonight’s foe, Carolina, 2-0 in Newark Oct. 17 . . . Devils have won three straight, 6-of-7 and are 14-3-1 in their last 18 . . . Mike Mottau practiced with team yesterday after sitting out ill Monday . . . Vladimir Zharkov has a three-game assist streak.

mark.everson@nypost.com