Darryl Sittler Scores First NHL Goal After 19-Game Wait

In today's hot-take media landscape, an eighth overall pick going goalless for 19 games would be headline news. But in 1970-71, the Toronto Maple Leafs had the luxury of letting Darryl Sittler develop without the glare of daily scrutiny.

The highly touted rookie finally got on the scoresheet in game 20 of his NHL career. On November 28, 1970, the Leafs hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Maple Leaf Gardens. Toronto, off to a rocky start that season with just five wins in 20 games, had their way in this one, jumping to a 6-0 lead before Detroit finally broke the shutout.

At 1:41 of the third period, Sittler lit the lamp for the first time in the NHL, assisted by Mike Walton and Jim McKenny. The goal made it 7-2 Toronto. He wasn’t done. Sittler added an assist later in the period on a goal by Ron Ellis, capping off a strong two-point night. Both of Sittler’s points came against Detroit’s backup netminder Don McLeod, who had replaced Roy Edwards for the final frame.

Despite an injury-shortened season, Sittler added nine more goals over his 49-game rookie campaign. It was the beginning of a Hall of Fame worthy career: 484 goals, 1,121 points, and 1,096 games played with the Maple Leafs, Flyers, and Red Wings.

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About Darryl Sittler

Darryl Sittler score 20 or more goals in 12 seasons, five of those with 40 or more. He topped out with a career high 45 for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1977-78. That year, he also had a career best 117 points which placed him third in the race for the Art Ross Trophy behind Guy Lafleur and Bryan Trottier.

Sittler was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989. In 2016, his jersey number 27 was retired by the Maple Leafs, a shared honour with Frank Mahovlich. A junior with the London Knights before being drafted to the NHL, Darryl's number 9 is retired by that club. He is the first ever first round pick to come out of the Knights.

NHL Hockey Card Legends: Darryl Sittler [Video]

Bobby Carpenter Explodes For 4 Goals and a Fight in Rookie Showcase vs. Blues

Washington Capitals rookie Bobby Carpenter put on a show for the home crowd in a breakout performance against the St. Louis Blues that NHL fans still talk about. Not only did Carpenter light the lamp four times, but he also dropped the gloves, making his mark as a rising star and tough competitor.

The Blues got on the board first, scoring the lone goal of the opening period. But after that, the Capitals took full control and Bobby Carpenter led the charge. His first goal came at 13:51 of the second period, his 20th of the season, assisted by linemates Mike Gartner and Lou Franceschetti. That made it 4-1 Washington, and Carpenter was just getting started.

The third period opened with a bang. Just 34 seconds in, Carpenter scored again. Only 25 seconds later, he completed the hat trick. And with just over two minutes to go, at 17:38, he buried his fourth goal of the night, his 23rd of the year. All told, the Capitals fired 46 shots at Blues netminder Mike Liut, scoring nine times in the blowout win.

But the goals weren’t Carpenter’s first appearance on the scoresheet. At 7:11 of the second period, before any of the scoring began, he squared off in a fight with St. Louis enforcer Jim Nill. Both players received five-minute majors. Nill would go on to fight again later in the game, this time against Washington’s Lee Norwood.

About Bobby Carpenter

The third overall pick at the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, behind Dale Hawerchuk and Doug Smith, didn't miss a game over his first five NHL season with the Washington Capitals. Over those four years with the Caps, he scored no less than 27 goals, topping out with a career high 53 in 1984-85.

Between 1981-82 and 1998-99, Bobby Carpenter played 1,178 regular season and 140 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Capitals, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils. He was a Stanley Cup champion with the Devils in 1994-95. From Beverly, Massachusetts, Carpenter was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.

Rick Middleton Shines with Four-Point Night in Fiery Win Over North Stars (Feb. 26, 1981)

Boston Garden was buzzing as the Bruins hosted the Minnesota North Stars, but no one made a bigger impact than Rick Middleton. In a 5-1 Bruins victory that was equal parts highlight reel and penalty box parade, Middleton delivered a vintage performance.

In the first period, Middleton helped open the scoring by assisting on a shorthanded goal by Mike O’Connell. Later in the frame, he teamed up with Ray Bourque to set up Jean Ratelle, who notched what would be the final goal of his illustrious NHL career, fittingly on the powerplay.

While chaos unfolded around him in a game that featured a staggering 404 penalty minutes, still one of the most penalized games in NHL history, Middleton managed to stay clear of the rough stuff until late in the second. At 17:13, he and former teammate Joe Zanussi dropped the gloves, each earning five-minute majors. Keith Crowder, however, led the penalty parade with 43 PIM, a mark that still ranks in the top 25 all-time for a single game.

Middleton wasn’t finished. In the third period, he returned to the scoresheet with style, netting two shorthanded goals just 62 seconds apart. One came unassisted, the other with help from Ratelle. Both came while Mike O’Connell was in the box, and both beat Minnesota goalie Gilles Meloche. Interestingly, both Meloche and Bruins netminder Rogie Vachon had earlier picked up minor penalties of their own during one of the game’s many melees.

By the end of the night, Middleton had posted two goals and two assists, all on special teams. He finished +3 and fired four of Boston’s 27 shots. It was a performance for the ages, not only for its offensive brilliance but for its poise amid the mayhem.

About Rick Middleton

Rick Middleton played 1,005 regular season and 114 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1974-75 and 1987-88 with the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. Originally, he was a first round pick by the Rangers at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft out of the Oshawa Generals.

In 1973-74, between his junior days and NHL career, Middleton was awarded the Dudley Red Garrett Award as the AHL's top rookie. Playing for the Providence Reds, Rick scored 36 and assisted on 48 for 84 points in 63 regular season games. In the post season, he added 15 points in 15 games with the Reds losing the Calder Cup final to the Hershey Bears.

Left out of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Middleton has been honoured by the Boston Bruins with jersey number 16 retired by the club in 2018. From the start of his NHL career with the Rangers in 1974-75, Rick scored 20 or more goals in eleven consecutive seasons. He had eight years with 30 or more goals and topped out with a career high 51 in 1981-82.

NHL Hockey Card Greats: Rick Middleton [Video]