Lorne Ferguson's Rare Two-Shorthanded Goal Hat Trick Powers Red Wings Past Rangers

Lorne Ferguson was never known as a prolific shorthanded scorer during his NHL career. In fact, the Palmerston, Ontario native scored just four shorthanded goals over 422 regular season games. Remarkably, half of that career total came in a single period against the New York Rangers.

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Highlights

• Lorne Ferguson scored a hat trick against the New York Rangers on February 2, 1957.

• Detroit won the game 5-4 at Madison Square Garden.

• Ferguson scored two shorthanded goals in the first period.

• Both shorthanded goals were assisted by Metro Prystai.

• Ferguson scored only four shorthanded goals during his entire NHL career.

• His third goal completed the hat trick and proved to be the game-winner.

• Ferguson finished with three goals and one assist for four points.

• He scored 13 goals and 23 points during the 1956-57 season.

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On February 2, 1957, Ferguson and the Detroit Red Wings visited Madison Square Garden for a matchup with the Rangers. New York opened the scoring, but Ferguson answered at 7:05 of the first period with a shorthanded goal assisted by Metro Prystai. Detroit's Ted Lindsay was serving a high-sticking penalty at the time, but Ferguson's goal evened the score at 1-1.

Ferguson wasn't finished. At 17:14, he assisted on an Alex Delvecchio goal that gave Detroit a 3-1 advantage. Then, with Warren Godfrey in the penalty box for slashing, Ferguson struck again. With just 14 seconds remaining in the opening period, he scored his second shorthanded goal of the night, once again assisted by Prystai. Ferguson had scored half of his career shorthanded goals in less than 13 minutes.

He completed the hat trick at 11:10 of the second period, beating Rangers goaltender Gump Worsley with Delvecchio picking up the assist. That third goal proved especially important. New York battled back, but Detroit held on for a 5-4 victory, making Ferguson's hat trick goal the game-winner. He finished the night with three goals and an assist for a four-point performance.

The offensive explosion represented a significant chunk of Ferguson's production during the 1956-57 season. He finished the year with 13 goals and ten assists for 23 points over 70 games. Between 1949-50 and 1958-59, Ferguson appeared in 422 NHL regular season games and another 31 playoff contests with the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. His best goal-scoring season came with Boston in 1954-55, when he reached the 20-goal mark.

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

Explore the storied history of the Detroit Red Wings — legends, moments, rivalries, and the culture that made Hockeytown iconic.

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Ron Lalonde Scores First Hat Trick in Washington Capitals History (In an 8-5 Loss)

The expansion Washington Capitals endured a historically difficult debut season in 1974-75. Washington won just eight of 80 games, scored an NHL-low 181 goals and surrendered a staggering 446. Yet, even in a season filled with losses, there were milestones to celebrate. One of those came courtesy of Ron Lalonde, who became the first player in franchise history to record a hat trick.

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Highlights

• March 30, 1975: Washington hosted Detroit in its 77th game of the season.

• Ron Lalonde scored the first hat trick in Washington Capitals history.

• Lalonde scored Washington's third, fourth and fifth goals.

• Bob Gryp assisted on all three goals.

• Washington held a 5-2 lead before Detroit mounted its comeback.

• Marcel Dionne scored twice late in the second period.

• Bill Hogaboam scored twice just 12 seconds apart in the third.

• Detroit ultimately won 8-5.

• It was the only hat trick of Lalonde's NHL career.

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Lalonde had arrived in Washington on December 15, 1974, when the Capitals acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Lew Morrison. He wasn't expected to suddenly transform one of the NHL's weakest offences, but on March 30, 1975, he provided a glimpse of what the young franchise desperately needed.

Hosting the Detroit Red Wings in their 77th game of the season, the Capitals surprisingly built a 5-2 lead past the halfway point. Lalonde scored Washington's third, fourth and fifth goals, giving him his ninth, tenth and eleventh goals of the season. All three came against Detroit goaltender Terry Richardson, and remarkably, Bob Gryp assisted on each of Lalonde's goals.

Unfortunately for Washington, the historic hat trick wasn't enough. Marcel Dionne began Detroit's comeback at 17:33 of the second period, just 31 seconds after Lalonde completed his hat trick. Dionne scored again before the intermission, cutting Washington's advantage to 5-4. The Red Wings then scored four unanswered goals in the third period to turn what had looked like a rare Capitals victory into an 8-5 defeat. Bill Hogaboam contributed two of those goals just 12 seconds apart.

Lalonde would never record another NHL hat trick, making his historic performance against Detroit the only three-goal game of his career. He appeared in 397 NHL regular season games between 1972-73 and 1978-79 with Pittsburgh and Washington, scoring 45 goals and 123 points without appearing in a Stanley Cup playoff game. Originally selected by Pittsburgh in the fourth round of the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft after playing junior hockey with the Peterborough Petes, Lalonde secured a permanent place in Capitals history on an otherwise forgettable night for the expansion club.

Washington Capitals: Team History

A look back at the history of the Washington Capitals — from expansion years to modern success.

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Glenn Anderson Bookends Record 12-Goal Period Between Oilers and Blackhawks

The Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks produced one of the wildest periods in NHL history on December 11, 1985. Playing at Chicago Stadium, the two high-powered clubs combined for a record 12 goals in the second period of a game that eventually ended with Edmonton winning 12-9.

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Highlights

• Edmonton defeated Chicago 12-9 on December 11, 1985.

• The Oilers led 4-0 after the first period.

• Edmonton and Chicago combined for 12 goals in the second period.

• Glenn Anderson scored both the first and last goals of the second period.

• Anderson finished with a hat trick and six points.

• Jari Kurri scored three goals, with Anderson assisting on all three.

• Wayne Gretzky recorded seven assists without scoring a goal.

• The teams combined for 21 goals in the game.

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The Oilers had already built a commanding 4-0 lead during the opening period. Glenn Anderson scored his 21st goal of the 1985-86 season as part of that early Edmonton outburst. However, the four goals in the first were merely a warm-up for what followed.

Anderson opened the incredible second-period scoring just 1:20 into the frame, netting his 22nd of the season with assists from Wayne Gretzky and Don Jackson. Over the next 18½ minutes, ten different players found the net as Chicago scored six times and Edmonton added four more. Remarkably, Anderson then finished what he had started. With just ten seconds remaining in the period, he completed his hat trick with assists from Gretzky and Paul Coffey. Edmonton headed to the dressing room leading 10-6 after the teams had combined for 12 goals in 20 minutes.

By comparison, the third period was relatively quiet, although the teams still combined for another five goals. Chicago scored three and Edmonton added two to give the Oilers a remarkable 12-9 victory. Anderson also assisted on three Jari Kurri goals, giving him three goals and three assists for a six-point night. Gretzky didn't score a goal but still finished with an incredible seven assists.

The goaltending statistics reflected the offensive chaos. Edmonton used both Andy Moog and Grant Fuhr, who combined to face 46 Chicago shots. Murray Bannerman surrendered ten goals on 36 shots over the first two periods for the Blackhawks. Bob Sauvé took over for the third and stopped six of eight. By night's end, the teams had combined for 21 goals, but it was that extraordinary 12-goal second period, opened and closed by Glenn Anderson, that earned the game its place in NHL history.

The Battle of Alberta: The Historic Rivalry Between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames

A deep dive into one of hockey’s most intense rivalries — the Edmonton Oilers vs. the Calgary Flames, featuring unforgettable games, personalities, and playoff clashes.

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