New Jersey Devils: When John Madden And Randy McKay Did The Unthinkable
On October 28th, 2000, 22 years ago, the New Jersey Devils had done something that hadn’t been accomplished since the 1921-22 NHL season. That year, Montreal Canadiens and brothers Odie and Sprague Cleghorn became the first teammates to both net four goals in the same game.
In Pittsburgh’s Mellon Arena, a record that had not been accomplished in 78 years finally came to fruition. An unlikely goal by then Devils tough guy Turner Stevenson opened the scoring just over two minutes into the game. That was the game’s only other tally not to come off the stick of Veteran Randy McKay or future Selke Trophy winner John Madden’s sticks.
Madden plotted his first of the game less than 3 minutes later from Stevenson. A rare penalty was taken by superstar and future Devil Jaromir Jagr. Randy McKay got his first goal on the insuring Power Play after putting away a Patrik Elias pass, making it 3-0 New Jersey. Randy McKay scored his second in the final minute of the first period.
The Penguins announced it was a sell-out crowd, but it didn’t stay that way after the first period.
Penguins Net-minder Jean Sebastian Aubin would be replaced at the start of the second period by Garth Snow. However, the future New York Islanders GM would fair no better.
Madden would grab his second goal at 11:10 of the second period. A minute and a half passed, and a few visiting devils fans’ hats would hit the ice as Randy McKay put away his hat trick. It only took Randy another five minutes before he had his fourth Goal (seventh of the season) in the lopsided contest. Madden then closed out the second period by scoring his hat trick goal with just around two minutes remaining. The score was 8-0, a landslide by the New Jersey Devils.
The third period came around, and Turner Stevenson completed his “Gordie Howe Hat trick” (goal-assist-fight) in a scrap with Josef Melichar at the halfway point of the third. And with 4:15 left in the third, John Madden did the unthinkable, you guessed it, he scored again. His fourth of the game and fifth of the season.
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Martin Brodeur stopped all 21 shots the Penguins allegedly threw his way for the shutout. The three stars for the game were, if you can imagine, Stevenson, Madden, and McKay.
Stellar performance and one for the hockey history books. From start to finish, it was just a show of dominance for the Beast of the East. The Devils would defeat the Dallas Stars for their second Stanley Cup that season.