Washington Capitals rookie Bobby Carpenter put on a show for the home crowd in a breakout performance against the St. Louis Blues that NHL fans still talk about. Not only did Carpenter light the lamp four times, but he also dropped the gloves, making his mark as a rising star and tough competitor.
The Blues got on the board first, scoring the lone goal of the opening period. But after that, the Capitals took full control and Bobby Carpenter led the charge. His first goal came at 13:51 of the second period, his 20th of the season, assisted by linemates Mike Gartner and Lou Franceschetti. That made it 4-1 Washington, and Carpenter was just getting started.
The third period opened with a bang. Just 34 seconds in, Carpenter scored again. Only 25 seconds later, he completed the hat trick. And with just over two minutes to go, at 17:38, he buried his fourth goal of the night, his 23rd of the year. All told, the Capitals fired 46 shots at Blues netminder Mike Liut, scoring nine times in the blowout win.
But the goals weren’t Carpenter’s first appearance on the scoresheet. At 7:11 of the second period, before any of the scoring began, he squared off in a fight with St. Louis enforcer Jim Nill. Both players received five-minute majors. Nill would go on to fight again later in the game, this time against Washington’s Lee Norwood.
About Bobby Carpenter
The third overall pick at the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, behind Dale Hawerchuk and Doug Smith, didn't miss a game over his first five NHL season with the Washington Capitals. Over those four years with the Caps, he scored no less than 27 goals, topping out with a career high 53 in 1984-85.
Between 1981-82 and 1998-99, Bobby Carpenter played 1,178 regular season and 140 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Capitals, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils. He was a Stanley Cup champion with the Devils in 1994-95. From Beverly, Massachusetts, Carpenter was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.
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