Toronto Maple Leafs Set NHL Playoff Record With Lightning-Fast Start vs. Atlanta (1979)

The Toronto Maple Leafs made NHL playoff history during the 1978-79 postseason, exploding out of the gate in Game 2 of their preliminary round series against the Atlanta Flames.

Game 1 of the best-of-three series had been a tight, physical affair. A brawl-heavy contest with limited offense saw Toronto skate away with a 2-1 win, thanks to two goals from Walt McKechnie. Game 2, however, was an entirely different story.

Toronto wasted no time rewriting the playoff record book.

Darryl Sittler opened the scoring just 4:04 into the first period, beating Atlanta goaltender Dan Bouchard with Pat Boutette picking up the lone assist. Only 12 seconds later, Sittler struck again, this time with help from Lanny McDonald.

Before the crowd could even settle, Ron Ellis made it 3-0 just 23 seconds after Sittler’s first goal, with Dan Maloney and Joel Quenneville earning assists.

Those three goals in 23 seconds established a new NHL playoff record for fastest three goals by one team. The previous mark had stood for 60 years, set by the Montreal Canadiens when they scored three times in 40 seconds against the Ottawa Senators. The closest any team has come since was the Anaheim Ducks in 2014-15, who managed three goals in 37 seconds.

The Maple Leafs went on to win the game 7-4 and sweep the series 2–0.

Toronto’s postseason run ended in the quarter-finals against Montreal, where the Canadiens swept the series. Despite the lopsided result, the matchup was far tighter than it appeared. Game 3 wasn’t decided until 5:25 into the second overtime, while Game 4 also required an extra period before Montreal finally closed the door.

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Terry O’Reilly’s Lone Hat Trick Comes During Career Year in 1977

Terry O’Reilly’s reputation was built on toughness, leadership and intimidation, not hat tricks. But during the finest offensive season of his NHL career, even Boston’s feared enforcer had a night that defied expectations.

The 1977-78 season saw O’Reilly post career highs with 29 goals, 61 assists, and 90 points, production that earned him an eighth-place finish in Hart Trophy voting. It also produced the only three-goal game of his NHL career. That memorable performance came on November 10, 1977, when the Boston Bruins hosted the Los Angeles Kings at Boston Garden.

The evening didn’t start smoothly for Boston. Los Angeles jumped out to a 2-0 lead by the nine-minute mark of the first period on goals by Bert Wilson and Hartland Monahan. From there, however, the Bruins completely shut the door.

Stan Jonathan began the comeback at 16:47 of the opening frame, beating Rogie Vachon for his third goal of the season, with assists from O’Reilly and Jean Ratelle. The Kings would not score again.

O’Reilly took over in the second period, scoring the lone goal of the frame, his third of the season, set up by Ratelle and Brad Park. Just 32 seconds into the third period, he struck again, finishing a play created by Jonathan and Park to give Boston the lead.

After Ratelle extended the advantage to 4-2, O’Reilly completed the hat trick in dramatic fashion, scoring with just 24 seconds remaining. Jonathan and Peter McNab provided the assists on the milestone goal, sealing a 5-2 Bruins victory.

O’Reilly finished the night with four points, while Jonathan matched him with a goal and three assists. Ratelle added three points of his own, recording a goal and two helpers. O’Reilly also led all skaters with seven shots among Boston’s 24 attempts against Vachon.

Considering the Bruins lineup featured the likes of O’Reilly, Mike Milbury, and John Wensink, it’s remarkable that the game produced only three minor penalties, a relatively calm night by Boston Garden standards. Still, the lasting memory remains Terry O’Reilly’s lone career hat trick, achieved during the most productive season of his storied NHL career.

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Pat Lafontaine Finds His NHL Groove in Just His Second Game with the Islanders

Pat Lafontaine wasted little time proving he belonged in the NHL. Less than two weeks after representing the United States at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Yugoslavia, the highly touted rookie was already making his presence felt with the New York Islanders.

Selected third overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, behind Brian Lawton and Sylvain Turgeon, Lafontaine joined a veteran Islanders lineup late in the 1983-84 season. Despite appearing in just 15 regular-season games, he produced an impressive 13 goals and 19 points, an early sign of the elite scoring touch that would define his career.

Lafontaine’s second NHL game, played on March 3, 1984, came at Maple Leaf Gardens against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In classic high-scoring 1980s fashion, the Islanders erupted for an 11-6 road victory and Lafontaine stole the spotlight.

At 11:31 of the first period, he scored his first NHL goal, beating Allan Bester with assists from Bob Bourne and Denis Potvin. Before the opening frame ended, Lafontaine added his first NHL assist, setting up John Tonelli as New York piled on four first-period goals.

The rookie wasn’t finished. In the third period, Lafontaine recorded three more points in a span of just over eight minutes. He scored his second goal at 4:05 against Rick St. Croix, picked up another assist on a Tonelli goal at 11:22, and completed his first NHL hat trick at 12:14. When the dust settled, Lafontaine had five points in just his second NHL appearance.

That explosive night was an early glimpse of what would become a remarkable NHL career. Between 1983-84 and 1997-98, Lafontaine scored 468 regular-season goals while starring for the Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and New York Rangers. He reached the 50-goal mark twice, highlighted by a career-best 54-goal season in 1989-90. In recognition of his achievements, Pat Lafontaine was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

Stories From The Epic History Of NHL Hockey (Volume IV)

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