The Toronto Maple Leafs made NHL playoff history during the 1978-79 postseason, exploding out of the gate in Game 2 of their preliminary round series against the Atlanta Flames.
Game 1 of the best-of-three series had been a tight, physical affair. A brawl-heavy contest with limited offense saw Toronto skate away with a 2-1 win, thanks to two goals from Walt McKechnie. Game 2, however, was an entirely different story.
Toronto wasted no time rewriting the playoff record book.
Darryl Sittler opened the scoring just 4:04 into the first period, beating Atlanta goaltender Dan Bouchard with Pat Boutette picking up the lone assist. Only 12 seconds later, Sittler struck again, this time with help from Lanny McDonald.
Before the crowd could even settle, Ron Ellis made it 3-0 just 23 seconds after Sittler’s first goal, with Dan Maloney and Joel Quenneville earning assists.
Those three goals in 23 seconds established a new NHL playoff record for fastest three goals by one team. The previous mark had stood for 60 years, set by the Montreal Canadiens when they scored three times in 40 seconds against the Ottawa Senators. The closest any team has come since was the Anaheim Ducks in 2014-15, who managed three goals in 37 seconds.
The Maple Leafs went on to win the game 7-4 and sweep the series 2–0.
Toronto’s postseason run ended in the quarter-finals against Montreal, where the Canadiens swept the series. Despite the lopsided result, the matchup was far tighter than it appeared. Game 3 wasn’t decided until 5:25 into the second overtime, while Game 4 also required an extra period before Montreal finally closed the door.
Stories From The Epic History Of NHL Hockey (Volume IV)
Dive into unforgettable tales from NHL history — the biggest moments, legendary players, and classic rivalries.
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