Stratton took the scoring title and was voted the American Hockey League Most Valuable Player in 1964-65. The Chicago Black Hawks, who owned Stratton, dropped him down to the St. Louis Braves of the Central Professional Hockey League the past two seasons where he was the leading scorer and MVP both years.
A crowd of only 5,126 attended the game. Others probably were probably content to watch the game on local television while recuperating from a wild celebration Thursday night after the Cardinals had won the world baseball championship.
Spectacular goaltending was featured as Hank Bassen stopped 37 shots for Pittsburgh and Seth Martin, a 34-year-old rookie, made a 32 saves.
"I thought Bassen played a heckuva first period," Penguin coach Red Sullivan said, "and if it wasn't for that kid in goal for St. Louis in the second period, we would have had two or three more goals."
The Penguins, who demonstrated a strong power play during the exhibition campaign, used it twice to produce goals against the Blues.
Center Paul Andrea set up Capt Ab McDonald to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 edge at 18:18 of the first period but Larry Keenan tied the score less than two minutes later.
Noel Picard was just completing a holding penalty when Stratton flipped home Gene Ubriaco's rebound at the 17:51 mark of the second period.
Bassen saved the Penguins with two sensational saves against Wayne Rivers just seconds before Earl Ingarfield provided an insurance goal early in the third period. Ingarfield intercepted a pass from Picard in the St. Louis zone and scored while Al MacNeil of the Penguins was in the penalty box.
