Two Shorthanded Goals Highlight Darryl Sutter’s First NHL Hat Trick

On October 18, 1981, Darryl Sutter delivered the first hat trick of his NHL career, and he did it in memorable fashion. The Chicago Blackhawks forward scored three times against the Edmonton Oilers at Chicago Stadium, with two of the goals coming while his team was shorthanded.

The night began with the Oilers striking first when Wayne Gretzky opened the scoring just 1:36 into the game. Chicago answered quickly. At 3:21 of the first period, Sutter scored his first goal of the 1981-82 season on Edmonton goaltender Andy Moog, with assists from Tom Lysiak.

Later in the period, Sutter struck again. With Denis Savard serving a slashing penalty, Sutter tied the game 2-2 at 16:33 with a shorthanded goal. The tally, assisted by Doug Wilson and Keith Brown, showcased Sutter’s ability to create offense even while killing penalties.

The game remained tight into the third period before Chicago gained the edge. Rich Preston gave the Blackhawks a 6-5 lead late in regulation. Moments later, with Ted Bulley in the penalty box and Edmonton pulling Moog for an extra attacker, Sutter sealed the night in dramatic style. He fired the puck into the empty net, completing his hat trick and scoring his second shorthanded goal of the game.

Sutter was the most active Chicago shooter that night, leading all Blackhawks with eight shots among the team’s 44 attempts. Goaltender Tony Esposito stopped 30 of 35 Oilers shots to earn the victory. Doug Wilson also contributed a strong performance with a goal and two assists, while Gretzky paced Edmonton with four points on a goal and three assists.

For Sutter, it was the first of three hat tricks in his NHL career and a highlight moment during a season shortened for him by injuries.

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Defenseman Carol Vadnais Scores Hat Trick For Rangers In Wild 8-6 Loss To Maple Leafs (1976)

When the Boston Bruins traded Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais to the New York Rangers on November 7, 1975, the return package included stars Brad Park and Jean Ratelle along with Joe Zanussi. It was one of the biggest deals of the decade, and Vadnais quickly made his presence felt on Broadway. In his first 22 games with New York, the defenseman recorded two four-point performances.

One of those standout games came on January 4, 1976, when the Rangers hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden. Vadnais opened his scoring at 4:50 of the second period, beating Toronto goalie Wayne Thomas for his seventh goal of the 1975-76 season. The tally, assisted by Pete Stemkowski and Walt Tkaczuk, briefly gave New York a 2-1 lead.

Toronto quickly seized control, however, scoring four straight goals to take a commanding 5-2 lead into the third period.

Any thoughts of a quiet finish vanished almost immediately. Vadnais struck again just 23 seconds into the final frame, with assists from Rod Gilbert and Esposito. Later in the period, Lanny McDonald scored shorthanded for Toronto at 11:46, igniting a remarkable stretch of offense. Over the next 2:33, the teams combined for five goals, at the time the ninth-fastest sequence of five goals in NHL history and still among the fastest ever recorded.

Vadnais assisted on the fourth goal of that flurry, Gilbert’s 13th of the season, before completing his hat trick at 19:09 with helpers from Gilbert and Esposito. The late surge wasn’t enough to overcome Toronto’s earlier outburst, and the Rangers fell 8-6 in one of the season’s wildest games.

Despite the loss, Vadnais finished with three goals and an assist, while Gilbert added a four-point night of his own with two goals and two assists. Vadnais also led all shooters in the game with seven shots on goal.

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NHL Hockey Card Greats: Carol Vadnais [Video]

Danny Grant Nets Two Against Capitals to Become Detroit’s Second 50-Goal Man

On April 2, 1975, at the historic Detroit Olympia, Danny Grant etched his name into Red Wings history. With two goals against the expansion Washington Capitals, Grant became just the second player in franchise history to score 50 goals in a season.

The only Red Wing to reach the milestone before him was Mickey Redmond, who hit the 50-goal mark in both 1972-73 and 1973-74. Grant’s 50-goal campaign in 1974-75 didn’t surpass Redmond’s team record of 52, but it firmly secured his place among Detroit’s elite scorers.

The game marked the second half of a home-and-home series with Washington. Grant had already tormented the Caps earlier, posting a goal and two assists. In six games against the new franchise that season, he piled up five goals and seven assists for 12 points, clearly relishing the matchup.

Detroit trailed 2-0 after the opening period in the April 2 contest, but the tide turned quickly. By the 9:30 mark of the second period, Grant buried his 49th goal of the season to give Detroit a 4-2 lead. The tally came against goaltender John Adams, with assists from linemates Marcel Dionne and Phil Roberto. That goal would stand as the game-winner in an eventual 8-3 Red Wings victory.

Grant’s milestone 50th goal came at 6:16 of the third period, once again assisted by Dionne and Roberto. Dionne enjoyed a standout night himself, recording a goal and three assists for four points. Grant, meanwhile, would finish the season right at 50, going scoreless in Detroit’s final two games.

Redmond’s franchise record of 52 goals remained intact until 1984-85, when John Ogrodnick raised the bar to 55.

The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings (A Curated History of Hockeytown)

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