Ken Dryden Makes 46 Saves, but Flyers Beat Canadiens in 1975 Showdown

Ken Dryden stopped nearly everything Philadelphia threw at him on November 16, 1975. He even contributed an assist. Still, the Montreal Canadiens left the Spectrum with a 3-1 loss in an early-season showdown between two teams that would meet again in the 1976 Stanley Cup Final.

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Highlights

• Philadelphia defeated Montreal 3-1 on November 16, 1975.

• Dryden stopped 46 of the 48 shots he faced.

• He also assisted on Guy Lafleur’s opening goal.

• Rick MacLeish recorded ten shots and scored the winner.

• Wayne Stephenson made 26 saves for Philadelphia.

• Gary Dornhoefer sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.

• Dryden followed the loss with a 17-save shutout in Minnesota.

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Montreal struck first when Guy Lafleur beat Wayne Stephenson at 5:02 of the opening period. Pete Mahovlich and Dryden collected the assists, giving the Canadiens’ goaltender a hand in the only goal his team would score all night. At the other end, Philadelphia kept Dryden busy, forcing him to stop 46 of the 48 shots he faced.

Bob Kelly tied the game at 11:05 of the second period before Rick MacLeish put the Flyers ahead at 16:31. Gary Dornhoefer and Ross Lonsberry assisted on MacLeish’s seventh goal of the season, which held up as the winner. MacLeish alone fired ten shots at Dryden, with Montreal’s number 29 stopping nine of them.

Stephenson handled the lighter workload effectively, turning aside 26 of Montreal’s 27 shots. With Dryden on the bench for an extra attacker, Dornhoefer scored into the empty net with six seconds remaining. His goal and earlier assist made him the game’s only player with two points.

Dryden rebounded three nights later in Minnesota, stopping all 17 shots in a 6-0 victory over the North Stars. Remarkably, he had blanked Minnesota by the same score just eight days earlier, making 14 saves in Montreal on November 11. Against Philadelphia, however, even 46 saves and an assist had not been enough.

Hockey’s Best Team Ever: A Chronicle of the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens' Record-Breaking Season

Relive the legendary 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens season, when a powerhouse roster led by Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden, and Larry Robinson set an NHL record with 60 regular season wins before capturing the Stanley Cup.

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Chicago’s John Marks Set An NHL Record In Just 33 Seconds

On November 13, 1975, the Chicago Blackhawks stormed into the Spectrum in Philadelphia and made NHL history almost immediately. Forward John Marks needed only 33 seconds from the opening faceoff to score twice against the defending Stanley Cup champion Flyers, setting a new NHL record for the fastest two goals by one player from the start of a game.

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Highlights:

• John Marks scored twice in the first 33 seconds of the game

• The record-setting game took place on November 13, 1975

• Marks broke Bill Hicke’s previous NHL record

• Chicago built an early 5-1 lead over Philadelphia

• Gary Dornhoefer recorded four points for the Flyers

• Philadelphia scored three goals in a 50-second span

• The game ended in a dramatic 5-5 tie

• Mike Knuble later broke the NHL record in 2003

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Marks opened the scoring just 14 seconds into the contest, beating Philadelphia goaltender Wayne Stephenson unassisted for his fourth goal of the 1975-76 season. Before fans had even settled into their seats, he struck again only 19 seconds later. Assisted by Pit Martin and Cliff Koroll, Marks buried his second of the night at the 0:33 mark, breaking the previous NHL record by a full minute.

The old mark had belonged to Bill Hicke of the Oakland Seals, who scored twice within the opening 1:33 of a game back in 1969. Marks’ incredible start stunned the Flyers and helped Chicago build what looked like an insurmountable lead. By the midway point of the game, the Blackhawks were comfortably ahead 5-1.

Philadelphia, however, refused to go quietly. Led by Gary Dornhoefer’s four-point night consisting of one goal and three assists, the Flyers clawed their way back into the contest. Ross Lonsberry and Dornhoefer scored within the final 23 seconds of the second period, and Bill Barber added another just 27 seconds into the third. The Flyers’ rapid-fire comeback featured three goals in only 50 seconds.

Despite Marks’ historic opening burst, the game ultimately ended in a wild 5-5 tie. Ivan Boldirev and Dennis Hull each chipped in with two-point performances for Chicago, but the Flyers’ relentless push erased the early deficit and salvaged a point on home ice.

Marks’ NHL record eventually fell years later when Mike Knuble of the Boston Bruins scored twice within the first 27 seconds of a 2003 game against the Florida Panthers. Interestingly, only a month after Marks set the record, Buffalo Sabres star Rick Martin nearly matched it by scoring two goals in the opening 38 seconds against the Minnesota North Stars.

The Big 50: Chicago Blackhawks (The Men and Moments that Made the Chicago Blackhawks)

Relive the greatest players, personalities, and turning points in Blackhawks history in this countdown of the 50 most influential figures and moments that shaped the franchise.

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