Lindy Ruff’s Four-Goal Night Against the Quebec Nordiques

Lindy Ruff was hardly a regular visitor to the scoresheet’s goal column, averaging roughly one goal every six or seven games over his NHL career. But on December 15, 1985, the Buffalo Sabres veteran enjoyed a night that any superstar would have treasured. Ruff scored four times against the Quebec Nordiques at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, powering the Sabres to a 6-2 victory.

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Highlights

• Ruff scored four goals against Quebec on December 15, 1985.

• Buffalo won 6-2 at Memorial Auditorium.

• Three of Ruff’s goals came in the second period.

• His second goal stood as the game winner.

• Two of his four goals came on the power play.

• It was his second and final NHL hat trick.

• Ruff later scored a penalty-shot winner against Quebec with the Rangers on November 26, 1989.

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Nothing in the opening period hinted at the offensive outburst to come. The teams remained scoreless through 20 minutes before Mike Ramsey opened the scoring just 1:19 into the second. Ruff took over from there, beating Quebec goaltender Clint Malarchuk at 7:29 for his tenth goal of the season, assisted by Mike Foligno and Dave Andreychuk.

Just 1:58 later, Ruff struck again. With Buffalo on the power play, he scored at 9:27 with assists from John Tucker and Gilbert Perreault. That goal gave the Sabres a 3-0 lead and ultimately stood as the game winner. Quebec got on the board before Ruff completed his hat trick at 16:58, assisted by Foligno and Phil Housley, restoring Buffalo’s three-goal cushion.

Three goals would have made it a memorable evening, but Ruff had another finish waiting. At 13:33 of the third period, he scored his fourth of the game and 13th of the season, with Andreychuk and Ramsey collecting the assists. His second power-play goal of the night completed the scoring in Buffalo’s 6-2 win. It was the second and final hat trick of his NHL career.

The Nordiques would also provide the opposition for another unusual Ruff scoring milestone. On November 26, 1989, now wearing a New York Rangers uniform, he beat Mario Brunetta on a penalty shot at Madison Square Garden. The goal came at 11:20 of the second period, put New York ahead 2-0 and proved to be the winner in a 3-1 victory.

John Ogrodnick supplied the Rangers’ other two goals, including the opener just 15 seconds into the second period. Ruff’s only NHL penalty-shot goal was a fitting companion to his four-goal performance in Buffalo: two rare offensive highlights, two game-winning goals and the same unfortunate opponent.

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NHL Playoff Hat Tricks Of The 1960s

Relive the NHL playoff hat tricks of the 1960s with the stories, stars, and memorable performances behind some of the decade’s biggest postseason scoring nights.

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George Armstrong’s Double-OT Goal Gave Toronto Its Only Win in the 1961 Playoffs

George Armstrong gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a dramatic start to the 1961 Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring in double overtime to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 at Maple Leaf Gardens. It would be Toronto’s only victory of the postseason. The Leafs had finished second overall in 1960-61, 24 points ahead of fourth-place Detroit, but that regular-season advantage meant little once the semifinal series began.

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Highlights

• Toronto finished 24 points ahead of Detroit in the 1960-61 standings.

• Alex Delvecchio opened Game 1’s scoring just 14 seconds into play.

• Ron Stewart’s late third-period goal forced overtime.

• George Armstrong scored at 4:51 of double overtime for a 3-2 Toronto win.

• Dick Duff and Allan Stanley assisted on the winner.

• Cesare Maniago made 37 saves in his NHL playoff debut.

• Detroit won the next four games, outscoring Toronto 13-5.

• Both Toronto and first-place Montreal were eliminated in the semifinals.

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Toronto never led during regulation in Game 1. Alex Delvecchio beat Cesare Maniago just 14 seconds after the opening faceoff, with Gordie Howe assisting. Bob Nevin pulled the Maple Leafs even with the second period’s only goal, but Howie Young restored Detroit’s lead early in the third. Ron Stewart kept Toronto alive, making it 2-2 with just over five and a half minutes remaining.

The Red Wings survived a dangerous stretch in the first overtime after Young received a slashing minor at 12:09. Toronto couldn’t capitalize on the power play, and the teams needed a second extra period to settle things. At 4:51, Armstrong finally beat Terry Sawchuk, with Dick Duff and Allan Stanley assisting on the winner.

Making his NHL playoff debut, Maniago stopped 37 of 39 shots to earn the victory. For Armstrong, the overtime winner would stand as his only goal of the playoffs. It was a memorable opening night for both players, but Toronto would have little to celebrate over the remainder of the series.

Detroit won the next four games, outscoring Toronto 13-5 along the way. Sawchuk’s contributions included a 29-save shutout in Game 3 as the Red Wings finished off the Leafs in five. The other semifinal also produced an upset, with the third-place Chicago Blackhawks eliminating the first-place Montreal Canadiens in six games. The NHL’s top two regular-season teams were out, leaving Chicago and Detroit to contest the Stanley Cup final.

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The Bruins Were Shut Out Just Once in 1970-71and It Took Two Goalies

The 1970-71 Boston Bruins are remembered for their remarkable offensive firepower, but even that powerhouse lineup had one scoreless night. On November 5, 1970, the St. Louis Blues visited Boston Garden and handed the Bruins their only shutout of the regular season. Boston fired 38 shots at the St. Louis net, but two goaltenders combined to turn them all away in a 2-0 Blues victory.

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Highlights

• Boston’s only shutout of the 1970-71 regular season came on November 5.

• St. Louis won 2-0 at Boston Garden.

• Glenn Hall stopped 25 shots through two periods.

• Ernie Wakely added 13 saves in the third.

• Frank St. Marseille scored the winner at 16:57 of the second period.

• Jim Roberts added an empty-net goal with two seconds remaining.

• Wakely recorded three shutouts over his next nine starts.

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Glenn Hall handled the first two periods, stopping all 25 shots he faced. The veteran was coming off a shutout in his previous appearance, a 17-save performance against the Los Angeles Kings on October 31. Ernie Wakely took over for the third period in Boston and finished the job with 13 saves.

With the Blues keeping Boston off the scoreboard, Frank St. Marseille supplied the only goal St. Louis would need. At 16:57 of the second period, he beat Bruins goaltender Ed Johnston with assists from Jim Roberts and Tim Ecclestone. That goal held up as the game winner despite Boston’s continued pressure.

Johnston kept the Bruins within striking distance, making 23 saves and allowing just one goal before heading to the bench for an extra attacker. Roberts finally sealed the result with an empty-net goal at 19:58 of the third period. Bob Wall and Christian Bordeleau assisted, leaving Boston just two seconds away from an unusually quiet finish at the Garden.

For Wakely, those 20 scoreless minutes marked the beginning of an impressive stretch. Over his next nine starts, he recorded three shutouts and held opponents to a single goal on three other occasions. His relief appearance against the Bruins was a fitting introduction to a run in which opposing shooters frequently struggled to beat him.

Wakely delivered another scoreless third period in relief of Hall on January 6, 1971, stopping all five shots he faced against the California Golden Seals. That appearance came under very different circumstances: Hall had surrendered six goals on 28 shots through two periods, and St. Louis lost 6-3. The November performance in Boston remained the standout, a shared shutout against a team that scored in every other regular-season game.

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