Crosby2010
Registered User
- Mar 4, 2023
- 1,746
- 1,746
Never say never. Simply because Sam Gagner - a 40ish point player - did it. Strange thing is he had a 5-game point streak as he was doing it. The game after his 8 point night he had three. And this game was otherwise mundane. It isn't as if something special was happening early on. He had 0 points in the 1st period. Chicago actually had a 2-0 lead before he got three points in the 2nd period. Okay, fine night so far. But even in the 2nd intermission it isn't as if anyone was thinking about Sittler's record. Then bam, 5 points in the 3rd, last one with about 4 minutes left. It came out of nowhere. Just goes to show you freak things can happen.
December 9, 1989. Ray Ferraro for whatever reason has 5 points in the 1st period vs. New Jersey. Then nothing the rest of the game.
October 23, 2001 Adam Deadmarsh had 5 points three minutes into the 2nd period, and then nothing.
I guess what I am saying is two things. For starters these freak games can happen. Tom Bladon had an 8 point game as a defenseman in 1977 against the Cleveland Barons.
Secondly, even when a player racks up 5 points halfway through the game do you realize how difficult that needs to be in order to do that again in the 2nd half? Sittler himself said that he knows he's played better games. I think the game vs. Philly in the 1976 playoffs where he had 5 goals was probably a better game. Some of the goals vs. Boston in the 10-point night are alright. But others are not highlight reels by any means. One of them is a deflected shot from behind the net that goes off Brad Park's shins. It was just one of those nights. Even in that game Sittler only has two points after the 1st period. No big deal. No one is really batting an eyelash. Sittler had 100 points that year, it isn't abnormal for a top scorer to have a couple of points at the 1st intermission. But the 2nd period, 5 points. Then a hat trick in the 3rd period. 11-4 win. Funny thing is, on the other side Jean Ratelle had 4 points for the Bruins. On the Leafs Tiger Williams was -3 that night! Even within the game strange stuff happened. And then a career minor leaguer who never played in the NHL after that. He actually had two shutouts that season in the 14 games he played. Cheevers comes back from the WHA and he's not needed anymore as Gilbert's back up. So while the legend is true that he never played another game in the NHL the truth is he probably is going down regardless. It is just a nice story though.
I'll never say never, because one game scenarios can be beaten as a fluke. But that's 11 points someone needs to beat it. And no one has ever done more than 8 other than Sittler in 100+ years of NHL hockey. Maybe there is a reason.
December 9, 1989. Ray Ferraro for whatever reason has 5 points in the 1st period vs. New Jersey. Then nothing the rest of the game.
October 23, 2001 Adam Deadmarsh had 5 points three minutes into the 2nd period, and then nothing.
I guess what I am saying is two things. For starters these freak games can happen. Tom Bladon had an 8 point game as a defenseman in 1977 against the Cleveland Barons.
Secondly, even when a player racks up 5 points halfway through the game do you realize how difficult that needs to be in order to do that again in the 2nd half? Sittler himself said that he knows he's played better games. I think the game vs. Philly in the 1976 playoffs where he had 5 goals was probably a better game. Some of the goals vs. Boston in the 10-point night are alright. But others are not highlight reels by any means. One of them is a deflected shot from behind the net that goes off Brad Park's shins. It was just one of those nights. Even in that game Sittler only has two points after the 1st period. No big deal. No one is really batting an eyelash. Sittler had 100 points that year, it isn't abnormal for a top scorer to have a couple of points at the 1st intermission. But the 2nd period, 5 points. Then a hat trick in the 3rd period. 11-4 win. Funny thing is, on the other side Jean Ratelle had 4 points for the Bruins. On the Leafs Tiger Williams was -3 that night! Even within the game strange stuff happened. And then a career minor leaguer who never played in the NHL after that. He actually had two shutouts that season in the 14 games he played. Cheevers comes back from the WHA and he's not needed anymore as Gilbert's back up. So while the legend is true that he never played another game in the NHL the truth is he probably is going down regardless. It is just a nice story though.
I'll never say never, because one game scenarios can be beaten as a fluke. But that's 11 points someone needs to beat it. And no one has ever done more than 8 other than Sittler in 100+ years of NHL hockey. Maybe there is a reason.
