Dennis Maruk Shines In 1985-86 Playoffs But Can't Help North Stars Out Of 1st Round
Highlights
Dennis Maruk became the first Washington Capitals player to score 50 and 60 goals in a season.
Despite his offensive success, Maruk played only 34 NHL playoff games during his career.
His best postseason performance came with the Minnesota North Stars in the 1985-86 playoffs.
Minnesota faced the St. Louis Blues in a tightly contested best-of-five opening-round series.
The Blues advanced in five games, but the North Stars actually outscored St. Louis 20-18 in the series.
Maruk recorded 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) and contributed to 65% of Minnesota's goals.
No other North Stars player recorded more than five points in the series.
Maruk recorded at least one point in all five playoff games.
His best performance came in Game 2, when he scored twice and added two assists in Minnesota's 6-2 victory.
Game 5 marked the final Stanley Cup playoff appearance of Dennis Maruk's NHL career.
Dennis Maruk is best known for becoming the first player in Washington Capitals history to score both 50 and 60 goals in a season. Despite his offensive brilliance, however, he experienced a career similar to Marcel Dionne's in one respect: limited playoff success. Maruk appeared in just 34 Stanley Cup playoff games during his NHL career.
Nearly half of those postseason games came with the Minnesota North Stars during the 1983-84 playoffs, but his greatest playoff performance arrived two years later in the spring of 1986.
A Closely Contested Norris Division Battle
The North Stars faced the St. Louis Blues in a best-of-five opening-round series after the two Norris Division rivals finished only two points apart in the regular-season standings. The series was every bit as competitive as expected.
Although the Blues won the series in five games, Minnesota actually outscored St. Louis 20-18. Maruk was the driving force behind the North Stars' offense, recording 13 points on four goals and nine assists. He factored into an incredible 65 percent of Minnesota's goals, while no other teammate recorded more than five points.
Maruk's Best Performance
Maruk registered at least one point in all five games, but his finest outing came in Game 2. Minnesota earned a convincing 6-2 victory on home ice to even the series at one game apiece.
He scored twice, added assists on goals by Tony McKegney and Brian Bellows, and finished the night with an outstanding +5 rating.
The Final Playoff Game
The deciding Game 5 ended in a 6-3 victory for the Blues, eliminating the North Stars despite Minnesota's strong offensive showing throughout the series.
Maruk contributed two more assists on goals by Brian Bellows and Ron Wilson in the loss. It would prove to be the final Stanley Cup playoff game of his NHL career, bringing the curtain down on one of the most productive yet often overlooked postseason performances of the 1980s.
Dennis Maruk: Hockey Biography
The story of Dennis Maruk — a prolific scorer whose 60-goal season remains one of the great NHL achievements.
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