Prior to the playoffs, Lemieux set personal records in goals (85), assists (114) and points on his way to the NHL scoring title, easily outdistancing Wayne Gretzky 199 points to 168, despite missing four games. At the time, his 85 goals were the third most of all-time and he became the third player ever to reach 100 assists in a season. Additionally, he scored 13 shorthanded goals to set a new NHL record. Perhaps the most remarkable achievement of Lemieux's stellar 1988-89 season was joining the exclusive 50 goals in 50 games club, only the fifth player at the time to achieve the feat first accomplished by the famed Rocket Richard when he scored his 50th of the season in his 46th game.
Also during the same season, Lemieux had one of the most remarkable nights in NHL history on New Year's Eve in 1988 when he scored five goals - in five different ways! He started the night with an even strength goal and followed it with one shorthanded, on the power play, a penalty shot and capped off his amazing night with an empty net goal.
On the basis of Lemieux's brilliant season, the Penguins qualified for the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. The New York Rangers fell to the Penguins in four straight before Pittsburgh advanced to face the Flyers. Game 1 went to the Penguins at home 4-3 and then the Flyers took Game 2 by a score of 4-2. Pittsburgh fought back with a 4-3 overtime win in Philadelphia and the Flyers evened the series 4-1 on home ice to send the series into Game 5 tied at two games apiece.
Game 5, played on this date in 1989, started with the Penguins breaking out with four straight goals, including three by Lemeiux, who was listed as questionable prior to the game with a neck injury, in the first 6:55 of the game to put the Penguins up 3-0. The Flyers got on the board with a goal to stem the tide but the Penguins added two more, including one more by Lemeiux on a wraparound into an unguarded net after he stole the puck from Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall to tie an NHL record with his fourth goal of the period at 17:09. The Penguins added one more prior to the horn to head into the intermission up 6-1.
The second period was more of the same, with the teams combining for five more goals. The Penguins outscored the Flyers 3-2, with Lemieux assisting on all three Pittsburgh goals, to extend their lead to 9-3 entering the third period.
The Flyers staged a furious rally to close the gap to 9-7 with four straight goals before Mario Lemeiux completed his eight point night with his fifth goal of the night, to go with three earlier assists, at 19:23 into an empty net to seal the 10-7 Penguins victory.
Lemieux tied NHL records for most goals and most points in a playoff game, most goals and most assists in a period in a playoff game that night.
The eight point night was the third of Lemieux's season, as he put up eight in the fourth game of the season and again on New Year's Eve, the aforementioned night he scored goals in five different ways. Lemieux remains the only player in NHL history to have scored eight points in a game three separate times, a feat he accomplished in a single season! It also remains the last time anyone scored eight in a game, now over 20 years past.
His eight points in a playoff game is one of only two times in history the feat has been accomplished and his eight points are tied for second for the most points ever scored in an NHL game behind Darryl Sittler's 10.
Today's featured jersey is a CCM 1988-89 Pittsburgh Penguins Mario Lemieux jersey. as worn during Lemieux's record setting eight point night in the playoffs. This was the first season for this particular lettering style on the Penguins jerseys, as previous seasons had a different specification with a thinner number font, serifs on thicker letters for the names and sleeve numbers up on the shoulders, football style.
Today's video section takes a look at the Penguins - Flyers playoff series in 1989, which includes Lemeiux's historic eight point night in Game 5. Ah, Michael, Michael motorcycle!
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