Leafs and Hawks Combine for 18 Goals as Errol Thompson Steals the Show
On February 20, 1977, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks turned Chicago Stadium into a scoring carnival. The two teams combined for 18 goals in a wild contest that became one of the highest-scoring games of the NHL’s modern era.
Summerside, PEI native Errol Thompson led the way for Toronto with a huge performance, recording a hat trick and two assists. Thompson set up goals by Lanny McDonald and Darryl Sittler to cap a five-point night.
The third period began with a stunning scoring burst. Pit Martin scored for Chicago at 1:04, Sittler responded just 25 seconds later, Thompson added his 14th goal of the season at 2:07, and Grant Mulvey scored at 2:40. Four goals in just 1:36 created one of the fastest scoring sequences in NHL history.
In goal, Wayne Thomas made 38 saves for Toronto, while Gilles Villemure allowed nine goals on 37 shots for Chicago, with the Leafs adding one more into the empty net. Toronto defenseman Ian Turnbull also had a huge night with a goal and four assists, while Lanny McDonald finished with two goals and two helpers, including the game winner.
