Steve Yzerman's goal-scoring stats were off the charts in the 1988-89 season, finishing the campaign with 65 of them, a record that is unbroken to this day.
Yzerman also led the league with 45 even strength goals that year, and he found the net 17 times on the power play. As for his three remaining goals, they came while the Wings were short-handed, meaning he was a threat to score even while on the penalty kill.
Want more fun? Yzerman was more than just a lethal goal-scorer. He also put up 90 assists that season, good for 155 points, which was by far a career-high. The only time he'd threaten to break his own record came one season later in 1989-90 when he scored 62 goals.
As for his overall points total? He notched 137 in 1992-93, which was the final year he reached the century mark. So, let's talk about Yzerman's magical 1988-89 campaign, and relive some of his best outings.
Steve Yzerman's 1988-89 season was off the charts in so many ways
To kick things off, Yzerman drilled home a goal in six straight contests, giving him six goals in six games despite the Red Wings early-season struggles. He put up his first multiple-goal game in a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on October 26th.
His first hat trick came a short time later on November 4th in a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. He logged a ridiculous 14 shots on goal in that game, and the next time the Wings faced the Flyers on November 12th, guess what?
If you guessed that Yzerman scored another hat trick, give yourself three points because that's exactly what happened. He also put up the game-winning goal in what was a 5-4 win, this time only needing six shots to hit the three-goal mark.
Starting with a 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins on November 18th, Yzerman embarked on a nine-game streak that saw him find the net at least once. Over those nine contests, he ended up with 12 goals and eight assists, good for 20 points.
Steve Yzerman's 1988-89 campaign was one for the ages by December 5th
Here's how memorable Yzerman's 1988-89 campaign was to that point: By December 5th, the Wings played in 27 contests, and Yzerman had 28 goals. At that point, he averaged over a goal per game, and while he cooled down after that, it still didn't take away the mystique that this season held.
Why? At that point in the season, Yzerman had 25 assists, meaning he'd log another 65 over the next 53 games. Still, he found the net often, but when wasn't scoring goals, he was the team's best playmaker, and that playmaking came after he already made this campaign one for the ages.
Overall, it's hard to see anyone on the Red Wings breaking Yzerman's record any time soon. Oh, and by the way, he also set the team record for assists and points that season, something nobody other than Steve Yzerman himself has threatened to surpass, as he's also second all-time on those three lists.
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