Two-time National Hockey League All-Star Lowell MacDonald of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia passed away on Sunday at the age of 84 according to Giuliana Grillo de Lambarri of CBC on Thursday. MacDonald played 13 National Hockey League seasons from 1961 to 1978. He spent four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings from 1961 to 1965, two seasons with the Los Angeles Kings from 1967 to 1979, and seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1970 to 1978.
In 506 NHL games, MacDonald had 180 goals and 210 assists for 390 points. He was a +47 with 88 penalty minutes, 95 power-play points, five shorthanded points, 15 game-winning goals, and 144 shots on goal.
MacDonald was an All-Star with the Penguins in back-to-back seasons. He was honoured the first time in 1972-73. That year he had 34 goals and 41 assists for 75 points in 78 games, and won the Bill Masterton Award for perseverance. MacDonald was an impressive +36 with eight penalty minutes, 11 power-play points, one shorthanded point, three game-winning goals and 244 shots on goal. MacDonald’s shorthanded point came in a 5-3 Penguins win over the Atlanta Flames on December 16, 1972. MacDonald set up Syl Apps of Toronto, Ontario at 12:14 of the second period and put the Penguins up 3-2 at the time. Defenseman Dave Burrows of Toronto had the other assist on an all-Canadian goal.
In 1973-74, MacDonald had 43 goals and 39 assists for 82 points. He was a +17 with 14 penalty minutes, 23 power-play points, two game-winning goals, and 260 shots on goal. MacDonald’s first game-winning goal in 1973-74 came in a 5-2 Penguins win over the Minnesota North Stars on November 13, 1973. MacDonald had a natural hat trick in the second period. His third goal was the game-winning goal at 5:52 of the second period to put the Penguins up 3-1. Apps and Al McDonough of Hamilton, Ontario had the assists on another all-Canadian goal. It was the third of five hat tricks MacDonald had in his career, with three hat tricks coming with Pittsburgh against Minnesota. MacDonald’s other game-winning goal in 1973-74 came in a 5-2 Penguins win over the Buffalo Sabres on January 5, 1974. MacDonald scored from Jean Pronovost of Shawinigan Falls, Quebec with four minutes and 51 seconds left in the second period. The Penguins went up 3-2 at the time.
