Leafs oust Pens from 1976 playoffs with easy 4-0 win

The Penguins were given an early opportunity to take charge of the third and deciding game of their 1976 Preliminary Round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs when Toronto’s Dave “Tiger” Williams was sent to the sin bin for a five-minute major penalty less than two minutes in. But the Pens power play stayed dormant, as it had been all series long, and the Leafs fed off the mammoth penalty kill to grab the momentum and hold it until the final buzzer.

“Killing that penalty was the key point of the game,” said Leaf coach Red Kelly in this game report. “After that we took charge of everything.”

Pittsburgh's Vic Hadfield regretted the missed opportunity. “We knew we had five minutes so we took our time, but pretty soon time ran out on us.”

Toronto goalie Wayne Thomas had another great game but long-time Penguin Jean Pronovost saw another reason for his club’s demise. “Thomas robbed us and was a big factor, but as a whole their team worked harder than ours.”

Pens battle back to even 1976 series vs. Leafs

After getting beaten up like a collective rag doll in Game One of their 1976 Preliminary Round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Penguins realized they too were going to have to play it tough if they were to advance out of the short best-of-three series.

This was only one of four career
playoff games for Michel Plasse. 

Back home on Igloo ice for Game Two, coach Ken Schinkel was able to get the line matchups he wanted thanks to having the last change on each shift. That meant that every time Toronto's dangerous Darryl Sittler came out, so too did Ron Schock, who shut the all-star centre down. The toughness was infectious and the entire team played like the mean-looking Penguin on the front of their jerseys, en route to a 2-0 win.

"We did intimidate them a little," coach Schinkel told the Pittsburgh Post in this article. "There were several of their guys backing up."

Goalie Michel Plasse had to stop only 21 Leaf shots to gain the shutout - which would turn out to be the only playoff one of his NHL career. "We played a helluva game as a team," he said. "We simply deserved to win."

The Pens would have to turn in another team effort the very next night back in Maple Leaf Gardens where one team would be moving on to the Quarter-Finals and the other would be heading to the golf course.

Leafs use "sledgehammer" strategy to take Game One in 1976

Penguin Pierre Larouche looks for an open puck
to put behind Toronto goalie Wayne Thomas.

With talented scorers such as Pierre Larouche, Jean Pronovost and Rick Kehoe in their lineup, the Penguins had garnered a well-deserved reputation around the NHL as a team that could put the puck in the net and do it with a lot of flair.

In Game One of their 1976 Preliminary Round playoff series against the Pens, the Toronto Maple Leafs tried to counter this firepower by employing a game plan that was "as simple as a sledgehammer," according to Pittsburgh Post writer Dan Donovan in this game report. The strategy involved hitting every Penguin who put his stick on the puck, and it worked perfectly for the Leafs, who came away with a 1-0 series lead.

"We hit them the whole game, and that's how we stopped them," observed Toronto netminder Wayne Thomas, whose spectacular pad save on a Pierre Larouche shot that was headed for a half-empty net lifted his team late in the first period.

Wayne Thomas's game was as sharp as his mask
in Game One against the Pens.

"Pittsburgh usually makes the pretty play," said Leafs centre Darryl Sittler. "So we had to check them closely to take that away from them. If we don't, they have the passers and shooters to blow us out."

Coach Schinkel guarantees 1976 playoff series win vs Leafs

Our next few posts will look at the Penguins' 1976 Stanley Cup Playoff Preliminary Round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs...

Following their 1975 quarter-final collapse against the New York Islanders, the Penguins put up a respectable 35-33-12 record the following season and were in the playoffs once again. Their opponent in their best-of-three Preliminary Round series would be the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had finished a point ahead of the Pens and thereby owned home-ice advantage.

Ahead of Game One in Toronto, Pittsburgh coach Ken Schinkel boldly predicted in this gameday article that his team would take the series on the strength of a win at Maple Leaf Gardens and one at home. It's almost impossible to conceive of a head coach uttering such a statement these days, but that's what went on in earlier eras.

Schinkel's brashness was all the more surprising when you consider that his charges had nosedived at the end of the season, going 2-4-1 in their last seven, including a loss in their final game at home to the sad-sack Washington Capitals, owners of the league's worst record.

1991 Boxing Day Blowout: Pens crumple Leafs 12-1

On the day he became engaged, Mario Lemieux decided to celebrate by going on one of his finest offensive rampages ever. It was Boxing Day 1991 when the Pens welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Igloo. 

It was not a warm welcome. 

Having slipped a ring on the finger of his longtime girlfriend Nathalie Asselin earlier in the day, Lemieux slipped two goals by Toronto goalie Grant Fuhr and also tallied a whopping five assists en route to a 12-1 demolition of the shell-shocked Leafs. Overshadowed by Mario's feat were two other incredible offensive displays: Joey Mullen's four goals - his second four-goal game in a row - and a six-point night for left wing Kevin Stevens. 

"It was crazy out there," said Stevens in this game report from the Pittsburgh Press (article on previous page). "One of those nights where everything went into the net."

"It was embarrassing to say the least," commented Toronto GM Cliff Fletcher.