Al MacAdam’s Overtime Goal Completes North Stars’ Sweep of Maple Leafs in 1980

Al MacAdam needed just 32 seconds of overtime to end the Toronto Maple Leafs’ season. On April 11, 1980, at Maple Leaf Gardens, the Minnesota forward beat Jiri Crha to give the North Stars a 4-3 victory and a three-game sweep of their best-of-five preliminary-round series.

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Highlights

• Minnesota completed its preliminary-round sweep on April 11, 1980.

• MacAdam followed a four-point Game 2 performance with the series-winning goal.

• Toronto led 2-1 entering the third period at Maple Leaf Gardens.

• Tom McCarthy and Steve Christoff scored early in the third to put Minnesota ahead.

• John Anderson’s unassisted goal at 14:47 forced overtime.

• MacAdam beat Jiri Crha just 32 seconds into the extra period.

• Minnesota subsequently eliminated Montreal before falling to Philadelphia.

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MacAdam had already played a major role in putting Toronto on the brink of elimination. In Minnesota’s 7-2 Game 2 victory, he contributed two goals and two assists. His offensive output in Game 3 was limited to a single goal, but it was the one that sent the North Stars into the Stanley Cup quarter-finals.

Toronto made the deciding game the closest contest of the series. Steve Christoff opened the scoring for Minnesota, but Terry Martin answered before Borje Salming put the Maple Leafs ahead in the second period. Toronto carried that 2-1 lead into the third, needing a victory to extend its season.

The North Stars turned the game around early in the final period. Tom McCarthy tied it on a power play at 1:04, and Christoff scored his second of the night at 4:25 to give Minnesota a 3-2 advantage. Toronto responded once more, with John Anderson scoring unassisted at 14:47 to force overtime.

The extra period barely got underway before MacAdam settled matters. With assists going to Curt Giles and Steve Payne, his winner came on his fifth shot of the game, the highest total among Minnesota players. Toronto’s Darryl Sittler recorded six shots but finished without a goal.

Minnesota advanced to face the Montreal Canadiens, who were pursuing a fifth consecutive Stanley Cup championship. Despite being outscored 21-18 across the seven-game quarter-final, the North Stars eliminated the defending champions. Their run finally ended in the semi-finals, where the Philadelphia Flyers defeated them in five games.

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A deep dive into the remarkable season of the Minnesota North Stars — their playoff run, key moments, and legacy.

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Bob Baun’s Other Winner in Detroit: Maple Leafs Close the 1963–64 Season With a Victory

A month before his famous “broken leg goal,” Bob Baun scored another game winner against the Detroit Red Wings. On March 22, 1964, the Toronto defenceman contributed a goal and an assist at Detroit Olympia, helping the Maple Leafs finish their regular season with a 4–1 victory over the team they would eventually face for the Stanley Cup.

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Highlights

• Toronto defeated Detroit 4–1 at Detroit Olympia on March 22, 1964.

• Baun scored the winner at 2:09 of the second period.

• Carl Brewer assisted on Baun’s fourth goal of the season.

• Baun also assisted on Dave Keon’s 23rd goal.

• Frank Mahovlich scored Toronto’s other two goals.

• Pat Rupp made 26 saves in his only NHL appearance.

• A month later, Baun scored his legendary overtime winner in the Stanley Cup Final.

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Baun put Toronto ahead for good at 2:09 of the second period, scoring his fourth goal of the season with an assist from fellow blueliner Carl Brewer. Later in the period, he helped set up Dave Keon’s 23rd goal of the campaign. Frank Mahovlich supplied Toronto’s other two goals as the defending champions headed into the playoffs with a convincing road win.

Offensive contributions like these were uncommon for Baun, whose reputation rested largely on his defensive work and punishing physical play. He scored just 37 goals in 964 regular-season NHL games, adding three more in 96 playoff appearances. Of his four career game-winning goals across the regular season and playoffs, three came during 1963–64: two in the regular season and one that became part of hockey folklore.

That playoff winner came on April 23, 1964, in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. With Toronto facing elimination, Baun was carried off the ice after blocking a Gordie Howe shot that injured his right ankle. He returned and beat Terry Sawchuk just 1:43 into overtime, giving the Leafs a 4–3 victory and tying the series at three wins apiece. Baun also played in Toronto’s 4–0 Game 7 victory, helping secure the club’s third consecutive Stanley Cup despite the fracture.

The March meeting had featured a much less familiar name in Detroit’s crease. Pat Rupp stopped 26 of Toronto’s 30 shots in what proved to be his only NHL appearance. Loaned to the Red Wings by the Philadelphia Ramblers of the Eastern Hockey League, Rupp faced Mahovlich, Keon and an unexpectedly productive Baun in his lone opportunity at hockey’s highest level.

Rupp later enjoyed championship success with the Dayton Gems, winning consecutive Turner Cups in 1969 and 1970. He also shared the IHL’s James Norris Memorial Trophy with teammate John Adams in 1968–69. His brief NHL career intersected with a memorable stretch for Baun: a rare regular-season scoring contribution followed a month later by one of the most celebrated goals in Maple Leafs history.

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Mike Bullard’s Four Goals Power Penguins Past Blues in 1984

Mike Bullard had a hand in nearly everything the Pittsburgh Penguins produced on December 5, 1984. With four goals and two assists, he figured in six of Pittsburgh’s seven goals in a 7–4 victory over the St. Louis Blues at the Civic Arena. Three of his goals came on the power play, while his lone even-strength marker stood as the game winner. For a Penguins team seeking just its seventh victory in 24 games, it was a welcome offensive outburst.

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Highlights

• Bullard scored four goals and added two assists on December 5, 1984.

• Pittsburgh defeated St. Louis 7–4 at the Civic Arena.

• Three of Bullard’s four goals came on the power play.

• His hat-trick goal at 5:37 of the third period was the game winner.

• Bullard contributed to six of Pittsburgh’s seven goals.

• John Chabot collected four assists, while Moe Mantha added three.

• Mark Taylor scored twice, and Roberto Romano made 38 saves.

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Bullard opened the scoring at 10:41 of the first period, beating Mike Liut on the power play with assists from John Chabot and Moe Mantha. He then helped Pittsburgh double its lead, assisting on Mark Taylor’s goal with just 40 seconds remaining in the period. The Penguins headed to the dressing room ahead 2–0, with Bullard already contributing a goal and an assist.

St. Louis erased that advantage in the second period. Greg Paslawski scored just 29 seconds after the intermission, and Bernie Federko tied the game at 7:00. Bullard restored Pittsburgh’s lead at 8:59 with another power-play goal, his 12th of the season. Perry Anderson answered for the Blues before Doug Shedden put the Penguins back in front, giving the home team a 4–3 lead through two periods.

Joe Mullen pulled St. Louis even again at 2:36 of the third, but Bullard supplied the decisive response. His hat-trick goal at 5:37 gave Pittsburgh a 5–4 advantage that it would never surrender. He followed that with an assist on Taylor’s second goal at 8:32, then completed his four-goal performance at 18:49. Fittingly, his final tally came on the power play.

Bullard finished with six points, leaving Shedden’s second-period goal as the only Pittsburgh marker without his involvement. Chabot collected four assists, Mantha added three, and Taylor supplied two goals. At the other end, Roberto Romano earned the victory with 38 saves on 42 shots. Federko, Kevin LaVallee and Mullen each recorded two points for St. Louis, while Rob Ramage led all skaters with eight shots on goal.

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