On November 11, 1981, the Winnipeg Jets walked into the Met Center for a road game against the Minnesota North Stars and quickly found themselves trapped in one of the most lopsided games in NHL history.
Highlights:
Bobby Smith recorded 4 goals and 3 assists for a 7-point night
Minnesota defeated Winnipeg by a staggering 15-2 score
The North Stars scored 8 goals in the second period alone
Three of Bobby Smith’s goals came on the power play
Minnesota’s 15 goals remain tied for the second most in NHL history
Gilles Meloche stopped 40 of 42 shots despite the blowout
The North Stars also scored two shorthanded goals in the game
Doug Soetaert faced 51 shots and allowed 15 goals for Winnipeg
For much of the opening half of the game, things were still relatively close. Winnipeg trailed only 2-1 early in the second period before the North Stars unleashed an offensive explosion that completely buried the Jets. Beginning at the 4:05 mark of the second, Minnesota scored eight goals in the period, turning the game into an unforgettable nightmare for Winnipeg goaltender Doug Soetaert.
The chaos started when Kent-Erik Andersson scored with assists from Bobby Smith and Dino Ciccarelli. That goal sparked a stretch where four goals were scored in just 1:11, three by Minnesota and one by Winnipeg. It narrowly missed the NHL record at the time for the fastest four combined goals in a game.
Bobby Smith became the star of the night. The North Stars captain scored four goals, including three on the power play, while also adding three assists for a massive seven-point performance. Smith factored into goals by Andersson, Dino Ciccarelli and Curt Giles as Minnesota piled up 51 shots on net.
An incredible 15 of those 51 shots beat Soetaert, tying the second-highest single-game goal total ever recorded by one NHL team. Only the Montreal Canadiens scored more, netting 16 goals against the Quebec Bulldogs back in 1920.
Lost in the offensive madness was the workload handled by Minnesota goalie Gilles Meloche. Despite his team winning by 13 goals, Meloche still faced 42 shots and stopped 40 of them. Winnipeg’s only goals came from Morris Lukowich and Bengt Lundholm.
The North Stars even managed a pair of shorthanded goals during the rout, including one by Neal Broten and another from Anders Hakansson that was assisted by Meloche himself. By the final buzzer, the scoreboard read an almost unbelievable 15-2 in favor of Minnesota, one of the greatest offensive outbursts the NHL has ever seen.
Mirage of Destiny: The Story of the 1990-91 Minnesota North Stars
A deep dive into the remarkable season of the Minnesota North Stars — their playoff run, key moments, and legacy.
Buy on Amazon
No comments:
Post a Comment