Phil Goyette went into the 1957-58 NHL season technically still a rookie. He played 14 regular season games the previous year and all ten in the playoffs for the Montreal Canadiens, hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first of four times during his NHL career.
1st Of 36 Career NHL GWG
Playing all 70 regular season games for the Habs, Goyette scored nine goals. On February 27, 1958 in a home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Montreal Forum, Phil put in his sixth of the year and it turned out to be the game winning goal.
At 13:08 of the second period, he put one past Toronto goalie Ed Chadwick to put Montreal up 2-0. With the final score ending in a 3-1 win for the Canadiens, Goyette's goal stood as the game winner. He also assisted on the first of the game, scored by Claude Provost in the first period.
Also scoring for Montreal were Marcel Bonin and Don Marshall. Jacques Plante stopped all but one of 30 shots put his way. The only one to get past Jake the Snake was off the stick of Brian Cullen early in the third period, assisted by Bob Pulford and Ron Stewart.
Phil Goyette's NHL Career
Goyette played 940 regular season games in the National Hockey League between 1956-57 and 1971-72 with the Canadiens, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres. Over that time, he scored 207 goals. Of those 207, 36 were game winners.
His performance with Montreal in 1957-58 got him a look for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. Phil finished third in voting, a distance behind a tight battle between winner Frank Mahovlich of the Toronto Maple Leafs and runner-up Bobby Hull of the Chicago Blackhawks.
