Leach pulling for Point's playoff goal streak with Lightning

Reggie Leach
said he hopes Brayden Point breaks his record of scoring a goal in 10 straight Stanley Cup Playoff games, set with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1976.

Point extended his goal streak to nine when the Tampa Bay Lightning center scored to make it 1-0 at 16:02 of the first period in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on Wednesday. The Islanders won 3-2 in overtime.
"I think it's great, I think it's good for hockey," Leach, now 71, said Tuesday from his home on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. "Records are meant to be broken and the young kid is playing well. I've seen a lot of his goals. To score in 10 consecutive games in the playoffs, that's something special. I wish him all the luck."
Point will attempt to tie Leach for the longest goal streak in NHL playoff history when the Lightning play the Islanders in Game 7 at Tampa Bay on Friday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS). The winner will advance to the Stanley Cup Final to face the Montreal Canadiens, who defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in six games in their semifinals series.

Leach, who was nicknamed "The Riverton Rifle" for a shot that helped him score 666 points (381 goals, 285 assists) in 934 NHL games with the Flyers, Boston Bruins, California Golden Seals and Detroit Red Wings, said Point "has a heck
for the most goals in a single postseason; Kurri scored 19 with the Edmonton Oilers in 1985.
Leach scored six goals in seven games for the Flyers against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1976 NHL Quarterfinals, and nine goals in five games against the Boston Bruins in the Semifinals, including a record-tying five in a 6-3 win in Game 5 that eliminated Boston. He had four goals in four games against the Canadiens, who swept the Flyers in the Cup Final. Despite the loss, Leach won the Conn Smythe Trophy voted as the most valuable player of the playoffs.
"When you're on a streak like that like I was on, I knew I was going to get a goal before I got to the rink because you're so confident and you can get to your spots," Leach said. "I used to leave the house and tell my wife, 'I'm going to get a goal tonight, for sure.'"
He said Point is probably experiencing the same feeling.
"Oh, yes, oh yes, he's on a high on that one now," Leach said. "He has the feeling that he can go into the rink and score. You've got to have that confidence when you're doing so well."
Leach said he'll be thrilled for Point if he breaks his record, but he'd be equally happy to still have the one he and Kurri share.
"I don't think that record (19 goals) will be broken for a while," he said. "That's a tough feat."