In the playoffs, it’s rare for a player to score four goals. Since 1919, it’s only happened 38 times and we just witnessed it twice in 24 hours. Both Joe Pavelski of the Dallas Stars and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers scored all four of their team’s goals in the first game of the second round of the 2023 Playoffs, and both were on the losing side of the contest.
The record for playoff games where one player records four or more goals is 33-3-2, so the odds that two of those losses came on back-to-back nights are incredibly low.
| Player Name | Team | Year | Goals | Final Score |
| Leon Draisaitl | Edmonton Oilers | 2023 | 4 | 6-4 L |
| Joe Pavelski | Dallas Stars | 2023 | 4 | 5-4 OTL |
| Denis Gurianov | Dallas Stars | 2020 | 4 | 7-3 W |
| Jake Guentzel | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2018 | 4 | 8-5 W |
| J-G Pageau | Ottawa Senators | 2017 | 4 | 6-5 OTW |
| Johan Franzen | Detroit Red Wings | 2010 | 4 | 7-1 W |
| Joffrey Lupul | Anaheim Ducks | 2006 | 4 | 4-3 OTW |
| Theo Fleury | Calgary Flames | 1995 | 4 | 6-4 W |
| Tony Amonte | Chicago Blackhawks | 1994 | 4 | 5-4 W |
| Ray Ferraro | New York Islanders | 1993 | 4 | 6-4 L |
| Kevin Stevens | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1992 | 4 | 5-1 W |
| Dino Ciccarelli | Washington Capitals | 1992 | 4 | 7-2 W |
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1989 | 5 | 10-7 W |
| Mark Johnson | New Jersey Devils | 1988 | 4 | 10-4 W |
| Tony Hrkac | St. Louis Blues | 1988 | 4 | 6-5 W |
| John Tucker | Buffalo Sabres | 1988 | 4 | 6-2 W |
| Jari Kurri | Edmonton Oilers | 1987 | 4 | 13-3 W |
| Denis Savard | Chicago Blackhawks | 1986 | 4 | 6-4 L |
| Jari Kurri | Edmonton Oilers | 1985 | 4 | 8-2 W |
| Tim Kerr | Philadelphia Flyers | 1985 | 4 | 6-5 W |
| Mike Bossy | New York Islanders | 1983 | 4 | 8-4 W |
| Glenn Anderson | Edmonton Oilers | 1983 | 4 | 8-2 W |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1983 | 4 | 10-2 W |
| Mark Messier | Edmonton Oilers | 1983 | 4 | 6-3 W |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1983 | 4 | 6-3 W |
| Bill Barber | Philadelphia Flyers | 1980 | 4 | 5-3 W |
| Lanny MacDonald | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1977 | 4 | 6-5 OTL |
| Reggie Leach | Philadelphia Flyers | 1976 | 5 | 6-3 W |
| Darryl Sittler | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1976 | 5 | 8-5 W |
| Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | 1969 | 4 | 10-0 W |
| Maurice Richard | Montreal Canadiens | 1957 | 4 | 5-1 W |
| Ted Lindsay | Detroit Red Wings | 1955 | 4 | 7-1 W |
| Ted Kennedy | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1948 | 4 | 5-3 W |
| Billy Reay | Montreal Canadiens | 1947 | 4 | 5-1 W |
| Carl Liscombe | Detroit Red Wings | 1945 | 4 | 5-3 W |
| Maurice Richard | Montreal Canadiens | 1945 | 4 | 10-3 W |
| Maurice Richard | Montreal Canadiens | 1944 | 5 | 5-1 W |
| Newsy Lalonde | Montreal Canadiens | 1919 | 5 | 6-3 W |
A player scoring four or more goals doesn’t happen often, and only on five occasions has a four-plus goal performance been all of the team’s goals. In those games, including Draisaitl and Pavelski’s performances, the record is 2-2-1. While it is a small sample size, that is quite an underwhelming result.
NHL Playoff Losses Have Rarely Been Seen Like This
In the 104 years since the first four-plus goal playoff performance, becoming one of the 24 players to record a four-plus goal game makes it quite an impressive stat for any player to reach. To have this happen twice in 24 hours is why the NHL playoffs are so exciting. Unfortunately for Draisaitl and Pavelski, joining such a small list of players scoring all of the goals for their team and still losing the game isn’t an accomplishment they want to put on their resume.
Related: 4 Takeaways From Stars’ 5-4 Game 1 OT Loss to Kraken
After the game, Draisaitl expressed his frustration with his team and their performance, indicating that he isn’t taking any positives from his four-goal game without a victory.
For just the second and third time in history, being on the losing side of this kind of individual performance will add fuel to the fire for them and their respective teams to push harder in their playoff series. On the bright side, throughout all of the series with a four-plus goal scorer, their record is 26-10, which could give Oilers and Stars fans hope.
Applauding Draisaitl and Pavelski’s Effort
While they may not see a reason to celebrate, Draisaitl and Pavelski’s performances are worth focusing on.
Pavelski is the oldest player in NHL history to record a 4-goal game in the regular season or the playoffs. He also scored in different ways: his first goal was a wrist shot, the second was a deflection, the third was a rebound, and the final one was batted out of the air.
Draisaitl scored on a pair of one-timers, a rebound, and a marvellous goal from two feet below the goal line. Like Pavelski, it was a great display of talent and versatility. Of course, Draisaitl is one of the best playoff performers in history, trailing only Wayne Gretzky in points-per-game average, with 29 goals and 74 points in 44 career games. It’s hard to challenge Connor McDavid for the best player in the NHL, but when only 16 teams are competing, Draisaitl’s game goes unmatched.
Can Oilers and Stars Bounce Back?
The Oilers and Stars both lost Game 1 of their second-round series, and there is lots of time to rebound. Edmonton is among the favourites to win the Stanley Cup, and the Stars have high-end talent and depth to get them back into their series.
The Oilers are taking on the Vegas Golden Knights, including the long-awaited series featuring Jack Eichel and McDavid, the top two picks in the 2015 NHL Draft. Both teams are hungry for a Stanley Cup, as the Golden Knights have been competing since their inaugural season, while the Oilers have finally built a team around McDavid that is worthy of contending. After bolstering their defense with the Mattias Ekholm trade and having Stuart Skinner taking over in the crease, hopes are high in Edmonton right now.
As for the Stars, they are taking on the Seattle Kraken, who are making their first postseason run. The Stars undoubtedly have the better star power, but the Kraken have waves of depth being sent on the ice at all times. Jake Oettinger has been one of the best playoff-performing goaltenders over the past two seasons, and the Stars are looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Final since being bounced by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020.