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

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.