THIS DATE IN NHL HISTORY: April 8
1937: Clarence Campbell referees his first playoff game, a 4-2 win for the Detroit Red Wings against the New York Rangers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. Campbell, who in 1946 becomes the third president in NHL history, hands out three penalties.
1961: Gordie Howe sets an NHL career record for most Stanley Cup Playoff assists during the Red Wings’ 3-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 2 of the Cup Final. Howe’s two assists give him 61, two more than Doug Harvey.
1970: Phil Esposito has three goals and an assist to help the Bruins to an 8-2 win against the Rangers in Game 1 of their Quarterfinal series at Boston Garden. The Bruins score five goals in a span of 10:21 and set a playoff record by scoring two shorthanded goals in 44 seconds.
1971: The Montreal Canadiens rally from a four-goal deficit for a series-tying 7-5 win against the Boston Bruins at Boston Garden in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Quarterfinals.
The Canadiens are heavy underdogs in the series after finishing the regular season in third place in the East Division, 24 points behind the League-leading Bruins, who are led by 76-goal scorer Phil Esposito and 102-point defenseman Bobby Orr.
Boston wins 3-1 in Game 1 and races to a 5-1 lead against rookie goaltender Ken Dryden in Game 2. But Henri Richard’s goal late in the second period gives the Canadiens a spark, and Montreal scores five goals in the third to stun the Garden crowd and even the series at one win apiece.
1973: Goaltender Ed Giacomin makes 33 saves for the only playoff shutout of his Hall of Fame career. Giacomin and the Rangers defeat the Bruins 4-0 at Madison Square Garden in Game 4 of their Quarterfinal series.
1980: Gordie Howe sets an NHL record for most years in the playoffs (20) and makes his first playoff appearance since 1970 when he takes the ice for the Hartford Whalers against the Montreal Canadiens at the Forum. He breaks the mark 19 held by Red Kelly. The Whalers lose 6-1 in their first NHL playoff game.
1982: Rookie center Dale Hawerchuk has four assists to help the Winnipeg Jets defeat the visiting St. Louis Blues 5-2 in Game 2 of the Norris Division Semifinals. It’s the first playoff win for the Jets since entering the League for the start of the 1979-80 season.
1990: Tony Granato scores a shorthanded goal at 8:37 of overtime to give the Los Angeles Kings a 2-1 win against the Calgary Flames in Game 3 of the Smythe Division Semifinals. It’s the fourth shorthanded OT goal in Stanley Cup Playoff history.
1996: After a name-the-franchise contest, the soon-to-be-relocated Winnipeg Jets unveil their new logo and announce that the team will be known as the Phoenix Coyotes, beginning with the 1996-97 season.
