The Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most exciting event of the season for hockey fans. The entire regular season leads up to a huge clash between the two best teams in the league. When the playoffs are on, it’s time to get ready for some seriously memorable hockey. Here are the twenty most amazing moments in the history of the Stanley Cup.
2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals
Who doesn’t love a good comeback story? In an impressive display of grit, Minnesota bounced back from a 3-1 deficit to overcome the heavily favored Colorado Avalanche during the 2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals. At the end of Game 7, the 4-3 series record showed that Minnesota would never quit.
Alec Martinez Brings it Home in Double Overtime
During Game 5 of the Finals, Alex Martinez of the LA Kings pulled out some Bobby Orr-like defenseman work and surged up past the blue line to put in a goal in double overtime against the New York Rangers. Not only did this win the Cup for the Kings, but it also secured a comeback that saw them dispelling the 3-0 deficit they fell into during the first round.
1999 Western Conference Quarterfinals
Vancouver fell behind Calgary early in the 1999 Western Conference Quarterfinals. When game 5 started, they were down 3-1. In a stunning upset, Vancouver dug deep and pulled out a come-from-behind victory in the next three games to send Calgary home and advance into the playoffs.
Patrick Kane Makes it Happen
The 2010 Stanley Cup Finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers was a memorable and heated competition. With the scored tied in overtime, Patrick Kane made some magic happen by slipping the puck past the Flyers for a series-winning goal. However, the goal went under review as it appeared to get wedged beneath the padding of the net. It was upheld and the Blackhawks got their first Cup since 1961.
1998 Western Conference Quarterfinals
In the 1998 quarterfinals, Edmonton looked like they were going to drop to Colorado. However, the Avalanche made some critical mistakes starting in Game 5, when they had the advantage in the series 3-1. Edmonton, no longer backed by Wayne Gretzky, sorely needed some wins to prove they were still relevant. They managed to overcome Colorado in stunning fashion and move on through the playoffs.
Joel Ward Makes a Point
The 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals saw some late-game dramatics to rival the kind of play you’d expect to see in the Finals. The Capitals’ forward Joel Ward eliminated the Boston Bruins with a stellar goal barely 3 minutes into overtime. Ward’s role as the game-winner was covered by the media as he was the Capitals’ only black player and there was lingering racial tension still in hockey.
Red Wings Overcome Vancouver
In 2002, after some heartbreaking playoff losses in the preceding years, the Red Wings were eager for victory. They made a huge comeback against the Canucks after falling behind two games to none, winning the series in six and pushing themselves through to the next round. And, yes, Detroit took home the Stanley Cup that year.
Victory at Last
The 2018 Stanley Cup didn’t need to go past five games for the Capitals to secure the win. Lars Eller brought home the first ever Stanley Cup for the team with a deep goal with over seven minutes left on the clock, wowing fans and finally breaking years of playoff failure and frustration.
2001 Western Conference Quarterfinals
The LA Kings met the Red Wings in the 2001 Western Conference Quarterfinals in 2001, and for the first two games of the series it looked like things were over for the Kings. However, Game 3 saw goalkeeper Chris Osgood simply fall apart, and the Kings won the next four games in a row. The Red Wings parted ways with Osgood after the 2001 season—though, not permanently.
Huge Penalty
The San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights were playing some pretty aggressive hockey when Sharks forward Cody Eakin got a major penalty for a cross-check on Joe Pavelski. Notably, Vegas had knocked San Jose out of the playoffs the year before, so this was personal. They scored three goals during the power play after Eakin’s penalty and came back to win the game 5-4 after trailing 0-3 before the penalty.
1999 Western Conference Semifinals
In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Red Wings and Avalanche met again, continuing their bitter rivalry. Detroit surged ahead by two games early in the series, but Colorado wasn’t having it. By Game 3, it was clear that the Avalanche had fire in the hearts and managed to break ahead and win the series 4-2.
Five Goals
Mario Lemieux let the Flyers have it in the 1989 Patrick Division Finals. In a commanding fashion, he surged ahead to score five goals himself, a feat not seen during the playoffs since 1944. The Penguins won over the Flyers 8-5, winning the Division Finals and pushing ahead into the playoffs.
1987 Division Final
Detroit took on the juggernaut Toronto in the 1987 Division Final, with Toronto heavily favored to win the round. Detroit fell behind in the series early, but they showed glimmers of promise in a heated sequence of plays. They battled back to win the series and stunned Toronto fans.
Game 6 Heroics
In 2004, Martin Gelinas scored a series-winning goal during Game 6 of the Finals in a somewhat controversial way. It was unclear if the Flames’ forward had actually moved the puck across the goal line, but, after review, the NHL upheld the call as a goal and the Flames took home the Cup for the first time since 1989.
Quarterfinal Miracle
In a miraculous turnaround during the 1975 quarterfinals between New York and Pittsburgh, New York managed to turn a 0-3 deficit into a 4-3 series win. This is one of the rare times any professional sports team has battled back from the brink like that. The Islanders would also go on to win the Stanley Cup that year!
Overtime Clutch Moment
Steve Yzerman kicked it into a higher gear during Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals in 1996. With the Red Wings tied up in double overtime, Yzerman launched a long shot from just inside the blue line that somehow managed to perfectly find its spot, whizzing past the St. Louis Blues and winning the game.
Detroit vs Chicago, 1962
In the 1962 Semifinals between Detroit and Chicago, it looked impossible for Detroit to come back from a two-game deficit. Then, they managed to pull things together in an impressive display of grit and won the semifinals 4-2, not dropping another game to Chicago.
The Hat Trick
In 1987, Wayne Gretzky ended Game 7 of the Campbell Conference Finals in appropriately dominant fashion. He aggressively pushed ahead of the Red Wings to score a hat trick and a 3-1 victory for the Oilers. This brought then to the Finals for the third year in a row and saw them winning their third championship in just four years!
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The Biggest Comeback
The biggest comeback in the history of hockey came in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals. Toronto surged back from an 0-3 deficit in the seven-game series and from odds that were staunchly stacked against them. This comeback is remembered as one of the most outrageous come-from-behind victories in the history of sports.
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The Flying Goal
Bobby Orr pulled off a dramatic goal in Game 4 of the 1970 playoffs, taking a pass from fellow Bruin Derek Sanderson and leaping into the air to deliver a lightning-fast goal from a foot off the ice. The image of the flying goal is one of the most iconic memories of hockey greatness for many fans. It helped that the goal won the game for the Bruins in overtime and secured their first championship in almost 30 years.
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