Mike Palmateer Rookie Photos

Scott Garland and Mike Palmateer
 My source for rarely seen hockey photos from the 1970's Doug Petepiece took these great shots of one of my favourite Leafs, Mike Palmateer. These one's were fairly easy to identify the game they were from. Palmateer only wore this mask during his rookie season of 1976/77, and Toronto played in Montreal only three times that year. The first visit in October 1976 saw Leaf goalie Wayne Thomas between the pipes. Palmateer played in the other two games in November and again at the end of March.
As far as I can tell, all the players pictured played in both games and Steve Shutt scored in both as well. He's pictured below tapping in an easy one. We get a break however when looking at the Montreal Gazette archives for the game from March 30, 1977 as linked below.


Jacques Lemaire looks on as Shutt taps in a gimme on the powerplay
There it is, in photographic evidence of the same goal in the picture Doug took. So this game is from March 30, 1977 and this was Shutt's 57th goal to extend his Montreal team record. He finished with 60. Darryl Sittler would score to tie this game up at 3 with nine minutes remaining and it ended 3-3.
Palmateer peers around Brian Glennie as Pete Mahovlich and Borje Salming jostle in front
Left to Right, Palmateer, Salming, Mahovlich, Glennie, Errol Thompson, Lafleur
Ian Turnbull fights off Doug Risebrough as The Flower swoops in

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