Danny Gare Haunts the Sabres in Wild 1984 Finish

On October 26, 1984, in just the eighth game of the 1984-85 NHL season, fans at Joe Louis Arena witnessed a bizarre and unforgettable performance by Detroit Red Wings captain Danny Gare. Facing off against his former team, the Buffalo Sabres, Gare seemed quiet with just one assist through 59 minutes of play. But the final 49 seconds flipped the script.

With the Red Wings clinging to a 4-3 lead and the Sabres’ goalie Tom Barrasso pulled for an extra attacker, Bob Manno scored into the empty net. Assisting on the goal? Dwight Foster and Danny Gare. That bumped Gare’s total to two points.

Just five seconds later, Barrasso still off the ice, Gare found the back of the net for his first goal of the night, his second of the season. Assists again went to Foster and the ever-intense Dave “Tiger” Williams.

Still without a goalie, Buffalo watched Gare strike once more. With just 15 seconds remaining, Tiger Williams set him up again for his second of the night and third point in under a minute. Paired with his first-period assist on Foster’s goal, Gare closed out the night with a four-point game, three of them scored in the final 49 seconds.

And that wasn’t all. Tiger Williams added some trademark grit to his stat line with two assists and a first-period fight against Buffalo’s Mike Foligno. Meanwhile, Dwight Foster and second-year phenom Steve Yzerman each notched a goal and two assists. John Ogrodnick chipped in with two goals and an assist.

About Danny Gare

Between 1974-75 and 1986-87, Danny Gare played 827 regular season and 64 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers. The Sabres selected him in the second round, 29th overall, at the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft after an outstanding junior career with the Calgary Centennials. In his final year with Calgary, Gare scored 68 goals and totaled 127 points.

With Buffalo, Danny was a 50 goal scorer twice. His career best came in 1979-80 when his 56 goals tied him for the league lead with Blaine Stoughton of the Hartford Whalers and Charlie Simmer of the Losn Angeles Kings. 

John Ferguson Fights, Scores, and Shines in First Canadiens Game

When the Montreal Canadiens brought in John Ferguson, the mission was clear, protect Jean Beliveau and keep opponents honest. But on October 8, 1963, in his NHL debut against the Boston Bruins, Ferguson proved he was more than just muscle. He was a scoring threat.

Just 12 seconds into his first NHL game, Ferguson tangled with Boston’s Ted Green, earning a roughing minor and an early trip to the penalty box. It seemed the Canadiens had gotten the enforcer they wanted but then came the scoring.

Midway through the first period, Ferguson netted his first NHL goal, set up perfectly by none other than Jean Beliveau, and beat Bruins goalie Eddie Johnston. In the second period, Ferguson struck again, this time assisted by Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion and Jacques Laperriere. Moments later, he returned the favor, assisting on a Geoffrion goal for a remarkable three-point debut.

Before joining the NHL, Ferguson had shown his scoring chops with the AHL’s Cleveland Barons in 1962-63, finishing third in goals (38) and second in penalty minutes (179). That same mix of grit and scoring followed him to Montreal.

By the end of his rookie season, Ferguson had 18 goals and 45 points over 59 games while also racking up 125 penalty minutes (seventh most in the NHL that year). He finished second in voting for the Calder Trophy, behind teammate Jacques Laperriere. Fellow Hab Terry Harper finished third.

About John Ferguson

Between 1963-64 and 1970-71, John Ferguson played 500 regular season and 85 playoff games in the National Hockey League, all with the Montreal Canadiens. Despite playing just eight seasons in the NHL, Ferguson was a member of five Stanley Cup championship teams with the Habs.

Known for his toughness, John could provide offense, as well. Twice, he reached the 20 goal plateau, putting up a career best 29 in 1968-69. That number tied him with Jacques Lemaire for fourth on the team. That year, he finished third in the NHL with a career high 185 penalty minutes, 34 PIM behind leader Forbes Kennedy.

From Longshot to Legend: Dave Taylor’s Rookie Hat Trick for the LA Kings

The NHL Amateur Draft in 1975 looked very different than today. No Europeans in the early rounds, and U.S. college players were often late selections. That year, all 18 first-round picks came from Canadian junior teams. The first NCAA player chosen? Brian Engblom, in the second round by Montreal.

But the Los Angeles Kings took a chance way down in the 15th round, 210th overall, on a kid from Levack, Ontario, now part of Onaping Falls near Sudbury, who was playing for Clarkson University. That kid was Dave Taylor, and the hockey world had no idea what was coming.

Fast forward to the 1977-78 NHL season. Taylor, now a Kings rookie, posted a solid 22-goal campaign in 64 games. But it was January 14, 1978, at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, when he really made headlines.

Facing the Atlanta Flames, Taylor netted a hat trick, all in the second period. Each goal was assisted by veteran Danny Grant, who notched five assists that night. Taylor’s third goal, on Flames goalie Yves Bélanger, was the game-winner in an 8-4 Kings triumph. He added a fourth point with an assist on Ernie Hicke’s goal later in the game.

Before the legendary Triple Crown Line was formed, Taylor was already proving he belonged, skating alongside Marcel Dionne and Grant. And he didn’t stop there. Of the 217 players drafted in 1975, Taylor was the only one to play over 1,000 NHL games. He spent his entire career with the Kings, suiting up for 1,111 regular season games and 92 playoff contests from 1977 to 1994. Not bad for a 15th-round pick.

Dave Taylor's NHL Hat Tricks

Over his lengthy NHL career, Dave Taylor scored three or more goals in a game nine times. In those nine games, the Kings were 8-1. On January 25, 1990, Taylor scored three goals on Edmonton Oilers goalie Bill Ranford in a 7-6 loss at Northlands Coliseum.

Dave's lone four goal game happened at the L.A. Forum on March 14, 1981 against the Minnesota North Stars. In a 10-4 blowout, Taylor scored the lone goal on Gilles Meloche after the veteran came in to relieve Don Beaupre. Beaupre allowed nine goals on 25 shots, including Taylor's first three of the game. Included in those was the game winner, scored at 10:22 of the first period with help from Marcel Dionne and Rick Chartraw.

His nine hat tricks were scored against nine different teams. Five were at home and four were on the road. All were regular season hatties, except for one. Dave had a playoff three goal game against the Calgary Flames in game four of the Smythe Division semi-final on April 10, 1990. In the 12-4 win, Taylor, Tony Granato and Tomas Sandstrom all record hat tricks while Granato, Wayne Gretzky and Sandstrom had five point games.