Steve Shutt Hits 60 Goals: A Montreal Canadiens Milestone

In Montreal Canadiens lore, few offensive feats shine brighter than the elusive 60-goal season and in the 1970s, it was accomplished by not one but two Habs legends. Steve Shutt and Guy Lafleur share the franchise record for most goals in a single season, each hitting the 60-goal mark. But Shutt did it first.

The milestone came during the final game of the 1976-77 season, on April 3, 1977, at the Capital Centre against the Washington Capitals. With the Canadiens already boasting 60 wins and playoff positioning locked up, it was clear the team had one priority that night: getting Shutt to 60.

Lafleur got things started early, scoring his 56th of the season at 4:21 of the first period, assisted by Shutt himself. Washington tied it midway through the frame, but the moment everyone waited for came at 18:17 of the first period, Shutt took a pass from Jacques Lemaire and Larry Robinson and fired his 60th of the season past Caps goalie Ron Low. It was one of just five shots Shutt took all night.

That would be the final goal of the game. Both teams seemingly coasted to the finish, with Montreal taking a narrow 2-1 win. The Canadiens registered just 19 shots on net, while Michel Larocque turned away 24 of 25 for Montreal.

At the time, Shutt’s 60-goal output set the NHL record for most goals in a season by a left winger, a mark later topped by Luc Robitaille in 1992-93 (63 goals) and then Alex Ovechkin in 2007-08 (65 goals).

For his efforts that season, Shutt was named a First Team All-Star, finishing well ahead of Buffalo’s Rick Martin in the voting. And though Guy Lafleur would match the 60-goal total the following season, Steve Shutt was the first Canadiens player to make it happen and he did it in style.

About Steve Shutt

Steve Shutt played 930 regular season and 99 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings. His time in L.A. was limited to 59 games in his final season.

He was the fourth overall pick by the Habs at the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft behind Billy Harris, Jacques Richard and Don Lever. A junior with the Toronto Marlboros, Shutt scored 70 and 63 goals in his final two years with the club.

Along with his 60 goal campaign, Steve had 45 or more in four seasons and 30 or more in nine straight. Shutt was part of five Stanley Cup championship teams in Montreal, arriving in time for the 1973 win but playing just a single game in that post season.

Ken Hodge’s 6 Assist Game Still a Boston Bruins Record

On February 9, 1971, Ken Hodge turned playmaker and carved his name into Boston Bruins history with a record-setting performance that still stands today. Known more for lighting the lamp than setting up goals, Hodge dished out six assists in a 6-3 win over the visiting New York Rangers.

That night, Hodge played provider on two goals by Bobby Orr, two by Wayne Cashman, one by Phil Esposito, and one by Johnny Bucyk. Though he fired four shots of his own at Rangers goalie Gilles Villemure, he couldn’t find the back of the net. But it was his incredible setup work that stole the spotlight.

Just weeks earlier, Bucyk had tied the club’s previous record with five assists in a single game. Hodge surpassed it with his six-helper night, becoming the sole record-holder, though not for long. On January 1, 1973, Bobby Orr matched the feat with six assists of his own against the Vancouver Canucks. As of today, Hodge and Orr remain co-holders of the Bruins' single-game assist record.

Interestingly, Hodge joined the list of Bruins players with five-assist nights just over a year later, doing it again on November 9, 1972, in a game versus Detroit.

The 1970-71 season would prove to be Hodge’s best. He tallied 62 assists and 43 goals for 105 points, ranking fourth in the NHL in all three categories. Still, he remained somewhat in the shadows with teammates Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr were busy shattering league records of their own.

About Ken Hodge

Ken Hodge played 880 regular season and 97 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1964-65 and 1977-78 with the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. Prior to his NHL start, he earned the Eddie Powers Trophy as the OHA Junior A (OHL) top scorer in 1964-65, putting up 63 goals and 123 points with the St. Catharines Black Hawks.

Involved in two major trades over his NHL career, Hodge was shipped from Chicago to Boston on May 15, 1967 with Phil Esposito and Fred Stanfield for Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin and Jack Norris. On May 26, 1976, he was traded from the Bruins to the Rangers for Rick Middleton. Middleton went on to a great career with Boston while Hodge soon fizzled out and played just one full season with the Blue Shirts.

NHL Hockey Card Greats: Ken Hodge [Video]

It Was No April Fool's Joke: Reg Leach Hits 60 Goals in Historic Flyers Blowout

April 1, 1976, was no laughing matter for the Washington Capitals. Visiting the Philadelphia Flyers at the Spectrum, the Caps were pummeled 11-2 in a game that secured the Flyers’ 50th win of the 1975-76 season. But more memorably, it was the night Reg Leach cemented his place in franchise history.

Leach not only scored twice and assisted on three others for a five-point evening, but his second goal, coming at 10:06 of the second period, was his 60th of the season. Assisted by Bill Barber and Jimmy Watson, the milestone marker made Leach the first and still the only player in Flyers history to reach the 60-goal plateau. He added one more two nights later in Buffalo to finish with 61.

Philadelphia was relentless that night, peppering Capitals goalie Ron Low with 62 shots. Bill Barber led the barrage with 11 shots and recorded a hat trick (goals 47, 48, and 49). He’d hit the 50-goal milestone himself just two nights later. Leach fired 8 shots, while Bobby Clarke dished out five assists. Gary Inness made 21 saves on 23 shots for the Flyers.

Though Tim Kerr would come close, scoring 54 goals twice and 58 twice between 1983-84 and 1986-87, no other Flyer has matched Leach’s 60-goal feat. Leach would crack the 50-goal mark one more time in 1979-80, finishing with exactly 50.

About Reg Leach

Reggie Leach played 934 regular season and 94 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1970-71 and 1982-83 with the Boston Bruins, California Golden Seals, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings. He was the third overall pick by the Bruins at the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft, behind Gilbert Perreault and Dale Tallon.

He helped the Flyers to a Stanley Cup championship in 1974-75 and was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner the following year, despite the Flyers losing to the Montreal Canadiens in the final. That year, he scored 19 goals in 16 playoff games, four more than he scored over his first 96 regular season games in the NHL.

NHL Hockey Card Greats: Reggie Leach [Video]