This Day in Hockey History – December 31, 1988 – Lemieux’s High Five

At the end of 1988, Mario Lemieux rang in the new year not just once but five times by five methods in five unique circumstances. The game held at the Civic Center for 16,025 fans on December 31, 1988 marked one of the highest highlights of Lemieux’s storied career.

From the beginning, Lemieux’s success as a scorer was anticipated and appreciated. On the final day of 1985, his Pittsburgh Penguins played the Blues at St. Louis Arena for and audience of 9,297. Although he was suffering from a cold, he made four shots on net and scored four goals for his first NHL hat trick. He made a goal at the top of each period with two of them taking advantage of power plays. While he was at it, he also helped his team with two assists as the Penguins won 8-4. Lemieux joked, “Hey, I wanted five goals after I got the first two to get me going. When things are going so good, why not go for it.”

Go for it he did. Exactly three years later, Lemieux managed not only five goals in one game but three assists as well. He only needed eight shots on goal to accumulate eight points. The Penguins only had 19 shots on net total as they defeated the New Jersey Devils 8-6.

Lemieux scored a hat trick in the first period. At even strength within the first five minutes, he ducked around the New Jersey defensemen and sent the puck towards the center, where it tipped off the skate of defenseman Craig Wolanin. About three and a half minutes later, the Penguins were short-handed when Lemieux scored “on a shot that dribbled between goalie Bob Sauve’s legs.” After another three minutes, Lemieux earned himself a power-play goal “on a slap shot from above the left faceoff dot.” Thanks to him, the Penguins led 3-2.

All three of Lemieux’s assists came during the second period, and all three occurred during power plays. In the midst of them, he made good on a penalty shot. With Pittsburgh having scored on five of their ten shots on net, the Devils had replaced Sauve with Chris Terreri, who “threw his stick at the puck in the right faceoff circle.” Consequently, a penalty shot was awarded. Upon consulting with his goalie, Tom Barrasso, commented Lemieux, “He said he didn’t know anything (about Terreri). So I figured it out for myself.” The goal made Lemieux three for three on penalty shots thus far in his career.

Even with all his efforts throughout the game, Lemieux saved something for the very end, the final second and perhaps even later. The Pittsburgh Press noted that the empty-netter was of “dubious pedigree – his shot appeared to enter the empty New Jersey net after time had expired in the third period.” Lemieux admitted, “I don’t know if it was a good goal or not.” Regardless, he was awarded a goal at 19:59 to become the only person known to have made five goals five different ways – at full strength, short-handed, on a power play, on a penalty shot, and on an empty net.

As Penguins Coach Gene Ubriaco remarked, “I think we all just saw Mario’s gift, a little late for Christmas, to me and the fans. I’m not going to say ‘Awesome,’ I’ve said that too many times.” Lemieux’s right wing Rob Brown tried to put things in perspective, “I think it was just another average night for him. He just decided this was going to be his game and nobody else’s. some of the things he did out there were amazing. … It was a classic example of the best hockey player in the world teaching us how to play.”

The five goals set a franchise record, and his eight points tied one that he set back on October 15 earlier that season. Lemieux even tied a team record for most points in a single period, the second, with his four. His first assist, just 39 seconds into that period, gave him 100 points in 36 games. That made him the third-fastest to 100 points.

Unsurprisingly, at the end of the 1988-89 season, Lemieux had personal highs of 85 goals, 114 assists, and 199 points. That gave him his second consecutive Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in regular-season points. He would go on to receive that trophy back-to-back in 1992 and 1993 and again in 1996 and 1997. The five goals done five ways was voted as the top event in NHL history at the league’s centennial. Lemieux responded, “You think of all the great moments in the NHL over the last 100 years, for the fans to pick my five goals is something special.”

Additional Sources:

• Mike Commito, Hockey 365: Daily Stories from the Ice (Toronto: Dundurn, 2018), kindle edition.
• David Fink, “Mario nails 4, Penguins win,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 Jan. 1986, pp. 31 and 33.
• Dave Molinari, “Lemieux scores 5 goals, Penguins beat Devils, 8-6,” Pittsburgh Press, 1 Jan. 1989, pp. D1 and D12.
• https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/njd-vs-pit/1988/12/31/1988020403#game=1988020403,game_state=final