Dallas Stars’ Joe Pavelski and Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl each scored four goals in a National Hockey League playoff game earlier this week. Oddly enough, their respective club then had to accept defeat. They probably should have scored a fifth goal to equal the scoring record for part of the run by Mario Lemieux, Reggie Leach, Darryl Sittler, Maurice Richard and Newsy Lalonde.
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Pavelski and Draisaitl aren’t the only ones to score four goals in their club’s play-off defeat. Three other players, including Quebec’s Denis Savard, suffered this affront.
Denis Savard (1986)
On April 10, 1986 in Chicago, Denis Savard scored two goals in the first half and two more in the second half. It wasn’t enough when the Blackhawks lost Game 2 of the first round series to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-6. Leafs goaltender Ken Wregget finished the game with 42 saves. Another detail about this game: Referee was Ron Fournier. Savard and the Hawks never recovered from that loss and were eventually swept by the Leafs in three games.
Ray Ferraro (1993)
Forward Ray Ferraro also scored all four of his team’s goals in a 6-4 New York Islanders loss to the Washington Capitals on April 26, 1993. Defenseman Al Iafrate, known for his powerful shot, also stood out with a hat-trick in the Capitals camp that night. The Islanders had nonetheless managed to win that series in the first round, before defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in the next round and then losing to eventual champions: the Montreal Canadiens in the conference finals.
Lanny McDonald (1977)
Mustache-wearing Lanny McDonald did everything but win in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey on April 17, 1977. Despite scoring four goals and one assist, McDonald returned to the locker room after the Leafs lost 6-5 to the rogue Philadelphia Flyers. Reggie Leach ruled in favor of the Flyers in overtime and scored his second goal of the game. The Philadelphia squad eventually eliminated the Maple Leafs by winning the next two games.
Craig Glover/London Free Press