Most Shots In An NHL Game: What The Record Holders Achieved
Contents
- NHL players who have achieved the most shots in a game
- What the record holders achieved
- How many shots were taken in the NHL game
- How many shots were taken by the player
- How many shots were blocked by the player
- How many shots were missed by the player
- How many shots were saved by the goalie
- How many goals were scored by the player
- How many assists were made by the player
- How many points were scored by the player
In hockey, as in any sport, records are made to be broken. But some records are more impressive than others. Take a look at the NHL’s record holders for most shots in a game.
NHL players who have achieved the most shots in a game
Players in the National Hockey League have achieved a lot of great things on the ice. One thing that NHL players can claim is the record for most shots in a game.
There have been a few players who have reached this prestigious feat, and they are as follows:
Brett Hull- St. Louis Blues 12/27/1991 vs. Hartford Whalers
Al Iafrate- Washington Capitals 01/10/1993 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Peter Bondra- Washington Capitals 03/26/1996 vs. Florida Panthers
Jamie Langenbrunner- Dallas Stars 04/17/2002 vs. Colorado Avalanche
Evgeni Malkin- Pittsburgh Penguins 02/21/2007 vs. Philadelphia Flyers
These five men are the only ones in NHL history to reach at least 10 shots in a game, with Brett Hull having the record for most shots with 12.
What the record holders achieved
In the National Hockey League a single game can have a huge impact on a team’s season. For example, in the 2012-2013 NHL season the Chicago Blackhawks set a new record for most shots in a game with 83. The previous record was held by the San Jose Sharks who managed 82 shots in a game against the Phoenix Coyotes.
While it’s impressive that the Blackhawks were able to get so many shots on goal, it’s worth noting that the game went to a shootout, which means that not all of those shots were necessarily on net. In fact, according to NHL rules, only shots that are “on net” are counted as official shots on goal. This means that if a player shoots the puck and it goes wide of the net or is blocked by a defender, it doesn’t count as an official shot on goal.
So how did the Blackhawks manage to get so many official shots on goal? Well, part of it has to do with the fact that they had a lot of Power play opportunities in the game. In total, the Blackhawks had 11 power play opportunities, which gave them plenty of time to get shots on goal.
In addition to having power play opportunities, another factor that contributed to the Blackhawks’ high shot total was their willingness to shoot from long range. A lot of players on the team were firing from distance in an effort to score goals and this helped contribute to the high shot total.
At the end of the day, getting 83 shots on goal is an impressive feat, and it’s one that may never be matched again. However, it’s important to keep in mind that not all of those shots were on net, which means that the Blackhawks didn’t necessarily have more scoring chances than their opponents did.
How many shots were taken in the NHL game
In the National Hockey League (NHL), the record for most shots on goal in a single game is 83, achieved by the San Jose Sharks against the Dallas Stars on April 17, 2008. The game, which was won by San Jose 6–3, saw a total of 136 shots attempted (83 on goal, 31 blocked, and 22 missed the net).
How many shots were taken by the player
In the National Hockey League (NHL), the most shots on goal in a single game is 14, a record that has been held by several players.
The first player to achieve the feat was Hall of Famer Gordie Howe who did so while playing for the Detroit Red Wings against the New York Rangers on November 26, 1963. Howe would go on to take 13 more shots in the game, finishing with a total of 27 attempts on goal.
Other players who have since tied Howe’s record include Bernie Geoffrion of the Montreal Canadiens (against Detroit on February 11, 1968), Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers (against Los Angeles on December 20, 1983) and Jeremy Roenick of the Chicago Blackhawks (against Nashville on January 2, 1999).
More recently, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point became only the fourth player in NHL history to register 14 shots on goal in a game when he did so against the Ottawa Senators on November 27, 2019.
How many shots were blocked by the player
In an NHL game each team is allowed a maximum of 60 shots on goal. However, player shots can be blocked by the opposing team which reduces the number of shots that actually make it to the goaltender. The record for most shots in an NHL game is held by Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who managed to get 16 shots on goal during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016.
How many shots were missed by the player
In the NHL, a player is not credited with a missed shot unless they are the last player to touch the puck before it goes wide of the net or is blocked by a defending player. This means that players who take a lot of shots are more likely to have a high missed shot total.
Some players have been able to take more than 50 shots in a game, but the record for most shots in an NHL game is held by Boston Bruins forward Phil Esposito who had 11 shots on goal and 16 missed shots in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on January 18, 1971.
Other players who have taken a lot of shots in an NHL game include New York Islanders forward Bryan Trottier, who had 10 shots on goal and 14 missed shots in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 1, 1977, and Winnipeg Jets forward Anders Hedberg, who had 9 shots on goal and 13 missed shots in a game against the Detroit Red Wings on November 28, 1981.
How many shots were saved by the goalie
In NHL history there have been only two games in which a team has recorded more than 60 shots on goal in a single game. The first game was played on March 21, 1991, when the Quebec Nordiques defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 12-6. The second game occurred just over a year later, on April 17, 1992, when the New York Islanders defeated the Washington Capitals 9-2.
In both of these games, the winning team had a goaltender who saved more than 50 shots. In the 1991 game, Patrick Roy of the Quebec Nordiques saved 53 of 59 shots; in the 1992 game, David Volek of the New York Islanders saved 51 of 53 shots.
How many goals were scored by the player
In the National Hockey League the most goals ever scored by one player in a single game is seven, a record that is shared by three players. All three of these players accomplished this feat in the modern ERA of the NHL, with two of them doing so during the 1992-1993 season. The third player to score seven goals in an NHL game did so during the 1981-1982 season.
The first player to score seven goals in an NHL game was New York Rangers forward Mike Rogers, who accomplished this feat during a 10-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on January 5, 1982. Rogers scored four goals in the first period of this game, giving him a total of seven for the game.
The second player to score seven goals in an NHL game was Buffalo Sabres forward Dave Andreychuk, who did so during a 9-6 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 27, 1992. Andreychuk scored five goals in this game, giving him a total of seven for the contest.
The third and final player to score seven goals in an NHL game was Pittsburgh Penguins forward Mario Lemieux, who accomplished this feat during an 11-7 victory over the New Jersey Devils on December 31, 1992. Lemieux scored five goals in this contest, giving him a total of seven for the game.
How many assists were made by the player
In the NHL, an assist is awarded to the player(s) who set up the goal, provided no other player on his team touches the puck before it enters the net. With that in mind, here are the five players with the most assists in a single game.
1. Wayne Gretzky – 8 Assists
Gretzky holds the record for most assists in a game with eight, which he recorded on February 15th, 1980 against the Philadelphia Flyers. He also has five other games where he recorded at least six assists.
2. Bobby Orr – 6 Assists
Orr is second on this list with six assists in a game, which he accomplished twice in his career; once in 1969 against the Los Angeles Kings and again in 1974 against the Detroit Red Wings He also has four other games where he recorded five assists.
3. Mario Lemieux – 6 Assists
Lemieux also recorded six assists in a game on three occasions; twice in 1988 (against Calgary and New Jersey) and once more in 1989 against Chicago. He also has five other games where he tallied five assists.
4. Bernie Nicholls – 6 Assists
Nicholls joins Gretzky, Orr, and Lemieux as the only players with more than one six-assist game; he did it twice within two weeks late in the 1988-89 season (against St Louis and Quebec). He also has four other games where he notched five assists.
5. Norm Ullman – 5 Assists Ullman rounds out the list of players with at least five assists in a single game; he did it three times over his career, including once during the 1968-69 season when he was just 22 years old.
How many points were scored by the player
In the National Hockey League the record for the most goals in a single game is held by Joe Malone, who scored seven goals for the Montreal Canadiens against the Toronto St. Pats on January 31, 1920.
Malone’s record-breaking performance came in just the sixth game of his NHL career and it remains one of the most impressive individual offensive displays in league history.
Even more impressive than Malone’s seven-goal game is the fact that he did it without the benefit of overtime; in today’s NHL, teams play four 12-minute Overtime periods if they are tied after regulation time.
The most points ever scored in an NHL game is 14, which was achieved by Darryl Sittler of the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Boston Bruins on February 7, 1976.
Sittler set his record by scoring six goals and adding eight assists in a 12-4 Toronto victory. Like Malone’s seven-goal game, Sittler’s 14-point performance also came without the benefit of overtime.