Garry Howatt Leads the Charge in Record-Setting Playoff Brawl Between Islanders and Bruins

When the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins met in the 1979-80 Stanley Cup quarter-finals, few could have predicted that their series would etch itself into the NHL record books, not for goals or saves, but for sheer chaos.

Game 1 at Nassau Coliseum was mild enough, a clean 2-1 win for the Islanders featuring just eight minor penalties. But Game 2 was an entirely different story. The opening period exploded into mayhem, capped by a full-scale brawl that produced 248 total penalty minutes, the most ever recorded in a single Stanley Cup playoff period.

Leading the charge was none other than Garry Howatt, the Islanders’ rugged forward known for his tenacity and fearlessness. Howatt racked up a game-high 32 penalty minutes, starting with a spirited scrap against Boston’s Wayne Cashman, plus a boarding minor, before joining the melee that erupted at the period’s final whistle.

By the time officials restored order, eight players had been tagged with fighting majors, misconducts, and game misconducts. From New York: Howatt, Duane Sutter, Bob Lorimer, and Gord Lane. From Boston: Cashman, Al Secord, Mike Milbury, and Stan Jonathan.

Despite the fireworks, the game itself delivered drama of a different kind. The teams settled down after the first intermission, combining for just three minor penalties the rest of the way. Bob Bourne sealed a 5-4 overtime win for the Islanders, who went on to sweep the Bruins and move on to face the Buffalo Sabres in the semi-final.

As for Howatt, he escaped suspension and was right back in the thick of it in Game 3, squaring off against Terry O’Reilly in yet another third-period fight. O’Reilly, ever the warrior, had already fought Clark Gillies twice earlier in the game, a testament to how fierce and physical this rivalry truly was.

About Garry Howatt

Garry Howatt played 720 regular season and 87 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1972-73 and 1983-84 with the New York Islanders, Hartford Whalers and New Jersey Devils. Over that time, the two-time Stanley Cup champion amassed 1,836 regular season penalty minutes. Originally, he was a lowly tenth round pick by the Islanders at the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft out of the Flin Flon Bombers.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Garry Howatt

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

1. Which NHL team did Garry Howatt spend the majority of his career with?
   New York Islanders
   Hartford Whalers
   Quebec Nordiques
   Vancouver Canucks
   
2. What nickname was Garry Howatt known by during his playing days?
   The Toy Tiger
   The Little General
   The Pocket Rocket
   The Bulldog
   
3. How many Stanley Cups did Howatt win with the New York Islanders?
   One
   Two
   Three
   Four
   
4. Garry Howatt was part of one of the most penalty-filled playoff games in history. How many total penalty minutes were called in the first period of that game?
   198
   220
   248
   260
   
5. After leaving the Islanders, which team did Howatt join as part of a trade in 1981?
   Hartford Whalers
   New Jersey Devils
   California Golden Seals
   Winnipeg Jets
   

Mike Krushelnyski’s Surprise Heroics: The Forgotten Star of the Oilers’ First Playoff Battle with Vancouver

On April 9, 1986, history was made at Northlands Coliseum as the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks faced off for the first time ever in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Most fans expected Wayne Gretzky to lead the charge, but on this night, it was Mike Krushelnyski, the unheralded forward known as Krusher, who turned out to be the difference-maker in Edmonton’s 7-3 win.

Coming off a tough, injury-shortened 1985-86 season, Krushelnyski had seen his numbers drop from the 43-goal career high he posted the year before. With just 16 goals and 24 assists in 54 games, few were predicting playoff heroics from him. But playoff hockey always has its surprises.

Krushelnyski scored the game-winning goal just 4:27 into the third period on the power play, assisted by Paul Coffey and Mark Messier. He wasn’t done yet. Just five minutes later, he struck again, this time with helpers from Messier and Mark Napier. Messier himself had a strong night, recording three assists, while Gretzky was limited to a single goal.

The Oilers went on to sweep the best-of-five Smythe Division semifinal, marking a short but memorable chapter in their dynasty years. It was also the final series that saw Cam Neely in a Vancouver uniform, he’d be traded to the Boston Bruins that summer, where he’d become a legend of his own.

About Mike Krushelnyski 

Betwen 1981-82 and 1994-95, Mike Krushelnyski played 897 regular season and 139 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings. He reached the 20 goal plateau five times, topping out with a career best 43 in 1984-85 with the Oilers.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Mike Krushelnyski

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

1. Before joining the Edmonton Oilers, which NHL team did Mike Krushelnyski play for?

Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
Boston Bruins
Los Angeles Kings

2. Krushelnyski was part of the blockbuster trade that sent which superstar to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988?

Mark Messier
Jari Kurri
Wayne Gretzky
Paul Coffey

3. How many Stanley Cups did Mike Krushelnyski win during his time with the Edmonton Oilers?

One
Two
Three
Four

4. Krushelnyski once scored one of the strangest goals in playoff history — while falling to the ice — to eliminate which team in overtime?

Calgary Flames
Los Angeles Kings
Chicago Blackhawks
Winnipeg Jets

5. After retiring as a player, Krushelnyski briefly served as a coach in the NHL. Which team did he work for as an assistant coach?

Boston Bruins
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Toronto Maple Leafs

Derek Sanderson’s 6-Point Explosion vs Toronto Previews 1969 Playoffs

On March 16, 1969, the Boston Bruins sent a loud and clear message to their upcoming playoff opponents, the Toronto Maple Leafs. After falling 7-4 in Toronto the night before, the Bruins turned the tables at Boston Garden, hammering the Leafs 11-3 in their final regular-season meeting.

At the center of the offensive onslaught was Derek Sanderson. The flashy forward piled up six points, including a natural hat trick in the second period. He also added three assists, two on goals by Garnet “Ace” Bailey and one on Wayne Cashman’s tally. All of Sanderson’s goals came against starter Bruce Gamble, who was pulled after 40 minutes in favor of Al Smith.

The Bruins dominated in every facet, firing 51 shots on goal. Sanderson and Bobby Orr led the team with eight shots each, though Orr was surprisingly kept off the scoresheet. Ace Bailey and Phil Esposito matched the production with five-point nights, while Ken Hodge and Cashman each added four. Gerry Cheevers faced 30 shots and gave up three goals, with Norm Ullman scoring twice for Toronto.

This rout foreshadowed the playoff beatdown to come. Boston outscored Toronto 17-0 in the first two games of their quarter-final series and swept the Leafs in four straight. Sanderson carried his hot hand into the postseason, scoring eight goals in just nine playoff games before the Bruins fell to the Montreal Canadiens in the semi-finals.

About Derek Sanderson

Derek Sanderson played 598 regular season and 56 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1965-66 and 1977-78 with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins. The 1967-68 Calder Trophy winner won two Stanley Cup championships with Boston.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Derek Sanderson

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

1. Which NHL team did Derek Sanderson debut with in 1965-66?

New York Rangers
Boston Bruins
Philadelphia Flyers
Chicago Black Hawks

2. In which season did Sanderson win the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year?

1966-67
1967-68
1968-69
1969-70

3. Derek Sanderson is perhaps best known for his role centering which legendary Bruins line?

The French Connection
The Big Bad Bruins' "Orr-Esposito-Sanderson" unit
The Kraut Line
The Legion of Doom

4. Sanderson made headlines in 1972 when he signed with which WHA franchise for a record contract?

Winnipeg Jets
Philadelphia Blazers
Houston Aeros
Quebec Nordiques

5. How many Stanley Cups did Derek Sanderson win with the Boston Bruins?

One
Two
Three
Four

Tim Kerr’s Historic 4-Goal Period Still Stands As NHL Playoff Record

On April 13, 1985, Tim Kerr of the Philadelphia Flyers etched his name into NHL playoff history with a jaw-dropping performance that still hasn’t been topped. Facing the New York Rangers in Game 3 of their opening-round playoff series, Kerr exploded for four goals in just 8 minutes and 16 seconds, all within the second period at Madison Square Garden.

Before the scoring spree, the Flyers trailed 3-2, and Kerr hadn’t registered a single point. That changed at 10:06 of the second frame, when he lit the lamp for his first goal. What followed was one of the most dominant stretches by an individual player in Stanley Cup Playoff history.

• Three of the four goals came on the powerplay

• Peter Zezel assisted on three of them

• All four beat Rangers goalie Glen Hanlon, who was pulled after the fourth

The outburst gave Philadelphia a 6-3 lead. Despite a late push from the Rangers, including third-period goals by Don Maloney and Anders Hedberg, the Flyers hung on for a 6-5 win and a sweep of the best-of-five series. The Flyers advanced past the Islanders and Nordiques before ultimately falling to the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final.

The record has since been matched but never surpassed. On April 25, 1989, Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins netted four goals in the first period of a 10-7 win, coincidentally against the Flyers. Lemieux added a fifth goal and three assists for an unforgettable eight-point night. Even more remarkably, Tim Kerr was on the ice for that game too, contributing two goals and two assists for Philadelphia.

About Tim Kerr

Tim Kerr played 655 regular season and 81 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1980-81 and 1992-93 with the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Hartford Whalers. He came to the Flyers undrafted after four years of junior, mostly with the Kingston Canadiens.

Over his first three year with the Flyers, Kerr scored a total of 54 regular season goals. In the following two, 1983-84 and 1984-85, he scored exactly 54 in each campaign. He followed that up with a pair of 58 goal seasons. Unfortunately, knee and shoulder injuries cut short his NHL career.