The Greatest Individual Toronto Maple Leafs Performances of All-Time

Number One: Darryl Sittler Records 10 points in a Single Game

Of all the great individual performances by Toronto Maple Leafs’ players over the years, there can be little doubt about number one. Darryl Sitttler’s feat of recording ten points in a single NHL game is an anomaly on par with Wilt Chamberlain recording 100 points in an NBA game.

To briefly recap, it was February 7, 1976, and the Toronto Maple Leafs were hosting the Boston Bruins at Maple Leaf Gardens.  What was about to unfold was unprecedented in NHL history, although there was nothing about this mid-winter regular-season contest that predicted it. The starting goaltender for the Bruins that night was Dave Reece, who was getting the nod over veteran goalie, Gerry Cheevers. Reece had no idea that he was to become a sad footnote in one of the most stunning tilts in NHL history.

In the first period of the game, Sittler recorded assists on goals by Lanny McDonald and Ian Turnbull for two points. A fine period, for sure, but in no way indicative of what was to come.

The second period changed all that with an offensive explosion by Sittler as he recorded a hat trick in the frame, while Borje Salming scored a pair of goals. Sittler assisted on both Salming tallies giving him seven points through the first two periods.

During the second intermission, Toronto Maple Leafs statistician Stan Obodiac came to the Leafs’ dressing room to inform Sittler that he had seven points through two periods and was only a point away from tying Rocket Richard all-time points in a game record

Sittler started the third period fully aware that another point would tie Richard’s record, and he only took 44 seconds to do just that by scoring a gorgeous goal while blazing past a bruin defender on his off wing and scoring on his forehand.

Nine minutes later it were guard his fist full of the game what’s an assist from Errol Thompson breaking the Rockets record. With three and a half minutes remaining in the game killer was parked behind the Bruins net Settler’s pass bounced off the Lego Brad Park or his six-goal to go along with four assists for 10 points.

In the 44 years since Sittler’s big night, some of the best hockey players in history have come and gone-Gretzky, Lemieux, Messier, Yzerman and other superstars have had long careers in the NHL, but were never able to touch Sittler’s single game mark.

Gretzky and Lemieux both hit the eight point mark twice and three times, respectively, but only number 27 has ever seen double digits in points in a single night.