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On this date in Penguins history: Mario Lemieux scores five goals, five different ways

The Penguins legend had himself a night with 5 goals and 8 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Flashback to New Years Eve on 1988, 32 years ago today.

The Penguins were facing off with the New Jersey Devils and it was a special night for Super Mario.

The Penguins would beat the Devils 8-6, but it was what Mario did that set him apart from anyone else, scoring five goals — but doing so in five different ways.

Lemieux started his scoring with an even strength goal early in the first period.

Later in the first period, he would add a shorthanded goal and a power-play goal.

Near the midway point of the second period, he would add the not-so-common penalty shot goal.

At this point, the only thing that was missing was the empty-net goal, which Lemieux would add, making it the fifth of the possible ways to score a goal, at the 19:59 mark of the game, coming in just under the wire.

Skill aside, it’s such a remarkable feat, simply based on the possible ways to score a goal, including both an empty-net and a penalty-shot goal, things that aren’t necessarily an option right off of the top like even strength, power-play, and shorthanded goals are.

Legend.