Michel Goulet’s Game-Winning Surge Lifts Nordiques in 1983-84 Season

In the heart of the 1983-84 NHL season, Michel Goulet was on an absolute tear. On December 10, 1983, he capped a seven-game winning streak for the Quebec Nordiques with a two-goal, one-assist performance against the Los Angeles Kings at the Forum. Quebec skated off with a 6-4 road win, thanks largely to their high-flying left winger.

Goulet’s second goal of the night, and 18th of the season, came on the power play. Assisted by Dave Pichette and Anton Stastny, it marked his fifth game-winning goal in just six games. That surge helped propel him to 16 game-winning goals on the season, tying Phil Esposito’s NHL record, originally set in both 1970-71 and 1971-72. That record still stands today.

The 1983-84 campaign would turn out to be a career year for Goulet: 56 goals, 65 assists, 121 points in just 75 games.

Still, this memorable night in Los Angeles might have gone the other way if not for Quebec goaltender DanBouchard, who stood tall under pressure. Bouchard faced 45 shots and made 41 saves, including several key stops against Marcel Dionne, who fired eight shots and scored once. Kings netminder Mike Blake, on the other hand, had a rough night, giving up six goals on only 24 shots.

About Michel Goulet

Michel Goulet played 1,089 regular season and 92 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Quebec Nordiques and Chicago Blackhawks. He topped the 50 goal plateau four times with Quebec and finished his career with 548 regular season markers. He also surpassed 100 points on four occasions.

Originally a first round pick by the Nordiques at the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, Goulet was coming off a season in the WHA with the Birmingham Bulls. Previously, he'd played major junior with the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL. Michel was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998. 

In Season Two The St. Louis Blues Finally Get Their First NHL Hat Trick

The St. Louis Blues made their NHL debut in the 1967-68 season, but offensive fireworks were in short supply. Red Berenson led the expansion team in scoring that year, notching 22 goals and 51 points. No other Blues player managed more than 15 goals.

Things began to shift in the team’s second season. Berenson upped his production, and the addition of veteran sniper Camille “The Eel” Henry added a new scoring threat. On November 3, 1968, at Detroit Olympia, Henry made franchise history by scoring the first hat trick in Blues history in a game against the Red Wings.

Detroit jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals from Frank Mahovlich and Gary Bergman. Henry got the Blues on the board late in the first period with a powerplay goal at 16:39. By the end of the second, it was 4-2 Red Wings but Henry wasn’t finished.

In the third period, Henry lit the lamp twice in a 15-second span to tie the game. Two of his three goals came on the powerplay, and Red Berenson assisted on two of them. All four St. Louis goals were scored against Red Wings goalie Roger Crozier, and the game ended in a 4-4 tie.

Just four nights later, on November 7, Berenson delivered one of the most iconic single-game performances in NHL history, scoring six goals in an 8-0 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Henry added to the onslaught with a goal and two assists, while Berenson recorded seven points in total. Doug Favell was in net for the shell-shocked Flyers.

About Camille Henry

Camille Henry played 727 regular season and 47 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1953-54 and 1969-70 with the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. He was the Calder Trophy winner in 1953-54 as NHL rookie of the year and won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1957-58.

Never a Stanley Cup champion, Henry did win a Calder Cup title in the AHL with the Providence Reds in 1955-56. That year, he led the league with exactly 50 goals and added ten more in the post season. His career best in the NHL was 37 goals in 1962-63 with the Rangers. That total placed him second, just a single goal behind leader Gordie Howe.

Jim Pappin’s Lightning Strike: 2 Goals In 6 Seconds Vs. The Philadelphia Flyers

On February 16, 1972, at Chicago Stadium, the Philadelphia Flyers looked to be in control. Second-period goals by Simon Nolet, Bill Flett, and Bobby Clarke had given them a solid 3-0 lead over the hometown Chicago Blackhawks heading into the third. Then came Jim Pappin.

At 2:57 of the third period, Pappin got Chicago on the board with his 18th goal of the 1971-72 season, assisted by Bryan Campbell. Just six seconds later, before the Flyers could even regroup, Pappin struck again. This time, former Flyer Andre Lacroix fed him the puck, and just like that, it was a one-goal game.

Stunned and suddenly vulnerable, Philadelphia gave up the tying goal at 5:08. Stan Mikita, assisted by Bill White, completed the comeback. The Flyers would manage to hold off further damage and escape with a 3-3 tie, but the momentum had clearly shifted.

Pappin’s two-goal outburst wasn’t an NHL record, but it tied him with Howie Meeker for the third-fastest pair of goals in league history at the time. The fastest? Four seconds, first set by Nels Stewart in 1931 and later matched by Deron Quint in 1995. Only PeteMahovlich and Nathan Gerbe have scored a pair five seconds apart, while others joining the six-second club include Ralph Backstrom, Lanny McDonald, and Sylvain Turgeon.

About Jim Pappin

Jim Pappin played 767 regular season an 92 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1963-64 and 1976-77 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, California Seals and Cleveland Barons. He was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Maple Leafs and also won three Calder Cup titles in the AHL with the Rochester Americans.