Philadelphia Outscores Pittsburgh 19-2 In Two 1977-78 Early-Season Meetings

The Pittsburgh Penguins faced their cross-state rival Philadelphia Flyers twice over their first five games of the 1977-78 NHL season. Neither meeting went remotely according to plan for Pittsburgh. The Penguins were beaten 8-2 at home in the first matchup before suffering an even more lopsided 11-0 loss at the Spectrum. Through it all, goaltender Dunc Wilson remained in the Pittsburgh net, facing an incredible 90 shots over the two games.

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Highlights

• Pittsburgh faced Philadelphia twice over its first five games of 1977-78.

• The Flyers won the two games by scores of 8-2 and 11-0.

• Dunc Wilson played every minute in net for Pittsburgh.

• Wilson faced a combined 90 shots over the two losses.

• Bobby Clarke recorded five points in the first game and four in the second.

• Philadelphia outscored Pittsburgh 19-2 across the two meetings.

• Bernie Parent made 20 saves for the shutout in the 11-0 victory.

• Wilson played 287 NHL games but never appeared in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

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It was a dramatic change of fortune for Wilson after a strong 1976-77 season. He had posted a 2.95 goals-against average and recorded five shutouts, tying Philadelphia's Bernie Parent for third in the NHL. A year later, Wilson appeared in just 21 games for Pittsburgh, finishing with a 4.84 GAA and no shutouts. Over his NHL career, he played 287 regular-season games between 1969-70 and 1978-79 with the Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Penguins, but never appeared in a playoff game.

In the first meeting with Philadelphia, Wilson stopped 28 of the 36 shots he faced in an 8-2 defeat. Bobby Clarke powered the Flyers with a goal and four assists for a five-point night, while Bob Kelly contributed two goals and an assist. Tom Bladon added a shorthanded goal and Ross Lonsberry was credited with the game winner as Philadelphia overwhelmed the Penguins.

Things became even more difficult in the rematch at the Spectrum. Philadelphia fired 54 shots at Wilson and rolled to an 11-0 victory. Clarke once again led the attack, recording a goal and three assists. Bob Kelly, Orest Kindrachuk, Rick Lapointe, Reg Leach and Jimmy Watson each finished with three points as the Flyers spread the offense throughout the lineup.

Only Bob Dailey, Gary Dornhoefer, Paul Holmgren and Joe Watson failed to record a point among Philadelphia's skaters in the 11-goal outburst. At the other end, Bernie Parent needed to make just 20 saves to earn the shutout. Over the two games, Philadelphia outscored Pittsburgh 19-2 and fired 90 shots at Wilson, a brutal early-season introduction to the Flyers for the Penguins and their goaltender.

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When the Canucks Finally Posted a Zero: Dunc Wilson’s Historic 1971 Shutout

The Vancouver Canucks spent their inaugural 1970-71 NHL season knocking on the door of history, but a shutout always seemed just out of reach. Eleven times that year, Vancouver held opponents to a single goal, yet the franchise’s first clean sheet never came. That milestone finally arrived early in the 1971-72 season.

On October 27, 1971, at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens, Canucks goaltender Dunc Wilson etched his name into team history by recording the first shutout in Vancouver Canucks history. The performance came in a tense, scoreless 0-0 tie, fittingly against one of the era’s premier netminders, Bernie Parent.

Wilson was sensational, turning aside all 34 Toronto shots. Jim Dorey led the Maple Leafs’ attack with six shots, while Paul Henderson and Mike Pelyk chipped in five apiece. Time and again, Wilson stood firm, frustrating a Toronto club that controlled much of the play.

At the other end, Bernie Parent was equally sharp but faced a lighter workload, stopping 20 Canucks shots to preserve the draw for Toronto.

The shutout marked the first of eight in Dunc Wilson’s NHL career. Two of those came with Vancouver, while he also recorded one with the Maple Leafs. His finest season came in 1976-77 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, when Wilson posted five shutouts in 45 games, the best total of his career.

For Bernie Parent, the night represented his first of three shutouts with Toronto during the 1971-72 season and the 12th of his NHL career. Parent would go on to record 54 career shutouts, earning a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame following a legendary run with the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Frank Mahovlich Scores His 500th NHL Goal Thanks To Henri Richard and Guy Lapointe

Frank Mahovlich’s legendary scoring touch reached a milestone on March 21, 1973, when he notched his 500th NHL goal at the Montreal Forum. The Canadiens hosted the Vancouver Canucks that night, and “The Big M” made sure it was memorable.

Mahovlich peppered Vancouver goalie Dunc Wilson with six shots, and one finally found the back of the net at 1:27 of the third period. That goal, assisted by Henri Richard and Guy Lapointe, stood as the game winner in a 3-2 Montreal victory.

Wilson faced a barrage of 41 shots, while Ken Dryden turned away 23 of 25 for Montreal. The goal came during a five-game hot streak for Mahovlich, who racked up 11 points over that span. He finished the 1972-73 season with 93 points, just shy of his career-best 96 the year before.

Over his NHL career, Mahovlich tallied 533 regular season goals, ranking 36th all-time and making him one of just 48 players to surpass the 500-goal mark. He added 51 playoff goals in 137 games and later scored 89 more in the WHA with the Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls.

From 1956-57 to 1973-74, Frank played 1,181 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, and Montreal Canadiens. The 1957-58 Calder Trophy winner captured six Stanley Cups, four with Toronto and two with Montreal, before earning induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Frank Mahovlich

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. Frank Mahovlich won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year with which team?
   Montreal Canadiens
   Detroit Red Wings
   Toronto Maple Leafs
   Chicago Black Hawks
   


2. How many Stanley Cups did Mahovlich win during his NHL career?
   4
   5
   6
   7
   


3. Which goaltender gave up Frank Mahovlich’s 500th career NHL goal on March 21, 1973?
   Ken Dryden
   Dunc Wilson
   Rogie Vachon
   Tony Esposito
   


4. Before joining the Montreal Canadiens, Mahovlich was traded to them from which NHL team?
   Chicago Black Hawks
   Detroit Red Wings
   Toronto Maple Leafs
   New York Rangers
   


5. In addition to his NHL career, Mahovlich played in the WHA. Which two teams did he play for there?
   Edmonton Oilers and Quebec Nordiques
   Winnipeg Jets and New England Whalers
   Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls
   Calgary Cowboys and Houston Aeros