A playoff hat trick was rare enough for a defenseman. Denis Potvin made his even more remarkable by scoring all three goals on the power play. On April 17, 1981, the New York Islanders captain added two assists to his three goals in a 6–3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Highlights
Potvin scored a hat trick against Edmonton on April 17, 1981.
All three goals came on the power play.
His third goal broke a 3–3 tie and stood as the winner.
Two assists gave him five points in the Islanders’ 6–3 victory.
He joined Georges Boucher and Bobby Orr as the first three NHL defensemen with playoff hat tricks.
Potvin scored six goals in the six-game Edmonton series.
He finished the 1981 playoffs with 25 points in 18 games.
The five-point performance came in Game 2 of the quarterfinals and made Potvin just the third defenseman in NHL history to score a playoff hat trick. Georges “Buck” Boucher had accomplished the feat with the Ottawa Senators in 1921. Bobby Orr followed with the Boston Bruins in 1971. Ten years after Orr’s performance, Potvin joined the club.
Edmonton held a 1–0 lead when Potvin scored his first goal at 2:26 of the second period, beating Andy Moog with assists from Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier. He struck again at 9:44, this time with Mike McEwen and Butch Goring collecting the assists. Those were Potvin’s third and fourth goals of the postseason, but his most important contribution was still ahead.
With the teams tied 3–3 entering the third period, Potvin completed his hat trick at 3:47. Bossy and Clark Gillies assisted on the goal, which put New York ahead to stay. Potvin also helped set up goals by Goring and Bossy, giving him a hand in five of the Islanders’ six goals.
Special teams shaped almost the entire evening. New York scored four power-play goals, while Edmonton scored twice with the man advantage. Bryan Trottier added a shorthanded empty-net goal, meaning seven of the game’s nine goals came on special teams. Potvin supplied three of them himself.
The Islanders eliminated Edmonton in six games, with Potvin scoring six goals in the series. His only other goals that postseason came in another 6–3 victory, this time against the Minnesota North Stars in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. He finished the championship run with eight goals and 17 assists in 18 games. His 25 points ranked third on the Islanders behind Bossy’s 35 and Trottier’s 29, a productive spring highlighted by one extraordinary night against Edmonton.
Rangers vs. Islanders: Denis Potvin, Mark Messier, and Everything Else You Wanted to Know about New York's Greatest Hockey Rivalry
Explore the fierce rivalry between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders, featuring legendary figures, unforgettable clashes, and the moments that defined one of hockey’s most intense matchups.
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