The Greatest Individual Toronto Maple Leafs Performances of All-Time
Number 2: Darryl Sittler Scores Five Goals in a Playoff Game
Toronto Maple Leafs centre and captain, Darryl Sittler, was no stranger to the NHL record book by the spring of 1976, as he equaled or bettered NHL regular season and playoff records during that magical year.
Sittler is best remembered as the Maple Leaf who scored 10 points in a single game on February 7, 1976.
That feat is undeniably remarkable, but it overshadows another stellar Sittler performance that was accomplished under far more pressure in a bitter playoff battle against the nefarious Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL Quarter Finals of 1976.
The Toronto Maple Leafs of 1976 were a pretty fine hockey club, however, they were considered serious underdogs going up against the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers of the time were better known by their menacing moniker, the “Broad Street Bullies.” The Flyers had home ice advantage in the series, and they were nearly infallible at home. This was a situation that made them a lock to win the series.
However, the 1976 playoffs coincided with coach Red Kelly’s discovery of Pyramid Power, and he employed this phenomenon to provide his Toronto Maple Leafs with some measure of hope in dealing with the Flyers.
After dropping the first two games in Philadelphia, Kelly placed some small pyramids under the Leafs bench prior to game three, the first game back on home ice at Maple Leaf Gardens. Oblivious to Kelly’s act, the Leafs went on to win the next two games and tie the series. Upon learning of Kelly’s secret weapon, some players, including Sittler, were intrigued enough by the pyramid concept to experiment themselves. Sittler placed his game sticks under a pyramid prior to the start of game six.
Trailing in the series three games to two, Sittler and the Leafs took to the ice at the friendly confines of Maple Leaf Gardens on April 22nd, 1976, needing a win to avoid elimination. That night, on home ice, Sittler tallied five goals during an 8-5 victory, tying Rocket Richard’s record for most goals in an NHL playoff game.
Sittler’s performance forced a game seven in Philadelphia which the buds sadly lost, and the Philadelphia Flyers eventually moved on to the Stanley Cup finals again, this time, destined to lose against the Montreal Canadiens.
Sittler’s five-goal playoff performance was historic and has only been equaled since by Reggie Leach of the Philadelphia Flyers and Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
By April of 1976, writing Rocket Richard out of the NHL record book had already become old hat for Darryl Sittler as we shall see with our number one individual Toronto Maple Leafs performance.