The Stanley Cup finalists have at last been determined.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will continue their quest to cement themselves as one of hockey’s greatest dynasties while the Nashville Predators attempt to start one of their own.
Pittsburgh’s thrilling Game 7 victory over the Ottawa Senators proved that overtime hockey is simply unparalleled. Deep down inside of every hockey fan, there is a burning desire to see their team win it all in a sudden death period. Only A handful of Stanley Cup finals have been determined in an extra frame(s), with the most memorable one coming in 1970. Below is a look at the championships won beyond regulation since.
1970: Boston Bruins Vs. St. Louis Blues
Bobby Orr’s Game 4 overtime tally is the single greatest moment in hockey history. The Boston Bruins completed the sweep with a 4-3 win after Orr finished off a give-and-go with teammate Derek Sanderson before leaping into eternal glory. Number 4 was tripped by Blues defenceman Noel Picard, and beat St. Louis goaltender Glenn Hall.
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1977: Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins
Jacques Lemaire earned the Canadiens their second consecutive Stanley Cup after receiving a perfect pass from Guy Lafleur. Ironically, Montreal’s head coach Scotty Bowman, who was swept by the Bruins in 1970 as coach of the St. Louis Blues, exacted revenge with a 4-0 sweep of his own. The Canadiens defeated Don Cherry’s squad by a score of 2-1.
1980: Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Islanders
Bob Nystrom’s Game 6 overtime heroics sparked the beginning of a dynasty for the New York Islanders. The team defeated the Flyers 5-4 and went on to win three more cups led by Hall of Famers Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, Dennis Potvin and Clark Gillies.
What a team.
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1996: Colorado Avalanche vs. Florida Panthers
Former Avalanche blue-liner Uwe Krupp is arguably the most unexpected hero on the list. The Avs completed the sweep with a 1-0 Game 4 win after the German netted a slap shot past goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck in triple-overtime. The championship came during the team’s first season in Colorado after playing in Quebec the year before.
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1999: Dallas Stars vs. Buffalo Sabres
Orr’s goal may be the greatest ever, but Brett Hull’s overtime winner is unquestionably the most controversial. Hull earned Dallas its first Stanley Cup after scoring on Dominik Hasek in Game 6 to propel the Stars to a 2-1 victory. The play has been heavily scrutinized ever since due to a league rule from the time that stated a player’s skate could not enter the crease. However, the NHL maintained that a player could position himself in the blue paint if he already possessed the puck.
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Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff disagreed with the call and infamously voiced his displeasure during Buffalo’s season-end rally.
2000: New Jersey Devils vs. Dallas Stars
The Stars found themselves on the losing side of the spectrum after Jason Arnott potted home the game-winning goal to put the Devils ahead 2-1. It was the second of three cups the Devils won from 1995-2003.
2010: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Orr’s was the greatest, Hull’s was the most controversial, and Patrick Kane’s 2010 goal in Game 6 against the Philadelphia Flyers was the most confusing. For a brief period, Kane was the only person in the Wells Fargo Center who knew the puck went in!
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Chicago won the game 4-3 and would go on to win two more Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015.
2014: New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Defenceman Alec Martinez capped off the Kings’ historic 2014 playoff run with a double-overtime goal on Henrik Lundqvist to put his team ahead 3-2. Unlike their other three seven-game series, they managed to conquer the Rangers in just five.
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The 2017 postseason has had its fair share of overtimes thus far, so don't be surprised if a new player is added to this list after the series has concluded.
