Best games you've ever seen

[Twine Seeking Missle]

One of the best "endings" to a regular season game I have ever seen was a game nobody here probably even knows about. It was Vancouver at the Islanders in February of 2004. Vancouver dominated the entire game and was up 3-1 with about 4 minutes left. I was about to get up and leave seeing as the Canucks seemed to have the game in hand. Isles score to make it 3-2. Then with 2:30 left, Isles score to tie it and the place goes nuts. About 30 seconds after that the Isles score to take a 4-3 lead and the roof almost blows off. Then with about a minute left, Bertuzzi scored to tie it at 4. Isles won in OT on a goal by Cliff Ronning. INCREDIBLE ending!

 

[Matty Sundin]

I thought the 1996 game 4 goalie duel between Roy and Vanbiesbrouck was fun to watch. It will never be remembered since Colorado dominated the entire series and you just knew they were gonna win.

 

[bleuer]

Swiss league, 04/05...Bern (9th) plays Kloten (8th) in the last game of the regular season. Bern needs a win to make the playoffs...and they destroy Kloten with 10:1!!!

 

[Tap on the Ankle]

obscure answer but one of my favourites was the Ottawa-Tampa game near the end (or I think it was the last game of the season) in 2004. It was a fast-paced, back-and-forth game. I forget how it all happened but the score changed several times in the last few minutes, with (I think) Andreychuk sending it into OT with a goal in the dying seconds of the 3rd. Sens ended up winning it in OT, goal by Phillips I believe. Of course, both teams had already made the playoffs at the time so there was really nothing on the line except a bit of bragging rights, but the game itself was well played by both teams, and it had a great ending (if you are a Sens fan).

 

[RC51]

Habs vs Russia, new years eve game, Dynasty Habs with Lafleur and the gang vs the BIG russian machine.

final score 3-3

 

[The_Forechecker]

Two contenders:

1) March 26, 1997 - Avs vs. Red Wings, the infamous brawl-filled game
2) Game 2 of the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals - Detroit comes back from a two-goal deficit in the 3rd to win in OT.

 

[brianscot]

Two other games come to mind.

Rendez-vous '87 -- held during the Quebec Winter carnival between NHL all stars and the Soviets.

Feb 11th - Dave Poulin scores late in the 3rd for a 4-3 NHL win.

Feb 13th - Valeri Kamensky scores twice and demonstrates what he should have become later in the NHL.

 

[Wayne Rutledge]

The Miracle on Manchester on April 10th, 1982. Kings were down 5-0 in the 3rd period to the powerful Oilers in game 3 of the playoffs (it was the season Gretzky scored 92 goals). My Dad wanted to leave the game after the 2nd period ended because we were getting killed, but I talked him out of it. In the 3rd period the Kings scored 5 goals, the tying goal with just 5 seconds left. The forum was in total massive pandemonium, just a mass of bodies jumping up and down while the roar blew out your ear drums. The Kings then won in OT and it was total massive pandemonium Part 2. It's still the greatest comeback in Stanley Cup playoff history.

Hardly a day passes that I still don't think about it

 

[YearsintheWilderness]

Unfortunately, I don't have the total recall that many of you do. However, I remember the thought at the time that certain games were great and that memory is what sticks with me. At the most, maybe a few plays stand out.

For me, it was probably during the 1990 playoffs when Dave Ellet scored in double overtime with a slap shot from the point, putting the Jets up 3-1 in the series against Edmonton. I was at that game, mere metres from Ellet when he took the shot. Everything seemed possible after the game. Of course, the Oilers came back and won the series 4-3...

 

[canesfan24]

The Miracle at Molson

Game 4 2002 Eastern Conference Semifinals:

Carolina vs Montreal...

Carolina down 0-3 in the 3rd period (1 -2 in the series) stormed back and won 4-3 in overtime... Jose Theodore the 2002 Vezina winner hasn't been heard from since. Losing 5 -1 in Game 5 and 8-2 in Game 6.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0k9xOhWrec

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Miracle_at_Molson

The Secret Weapon was born in game 4.

 

[xeric716x]

game 7 SCF 1994. =(

 

[DaBadGuy7]

marios 5 goal shelacking vs the rags at msg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyV7KSEUGJM

nice backhand deke on the 5th goal

anyway some games to mind are:

Game 6 2004 ECF Flyers vs Lightning - Primeau scores with 1:49 to tie the game and Gagne wins it OT

Another was a 6-5 Rangers win over the Flyers in 1999 where the Rangers blew a three goal lead and Petr scores the go ahead goal with 6:28 remaining and also the hattrick

 

[Meichel Kane]

Buffalo-Ottawa game 2, 1999
Buffalo-Dallas game 1, 1999
Buffalo-Dallas game 6, 1999
Colorado-Dallas game 7 (I think), 1999 - the Avs scored what looked to be a goal, but it hit the padding that lined the netting, so it technically wasn't a goal...who remembers that? I was 9, so my memory is foggy
Buffalo-Pittsburgh game 5, 2001 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=uPc2iQVgiI4

 

[Hank Chinaski]

The NHL Network is showing most of the games from the 1995 series between San Jose and Calgary this week (I'm assuming that they're omitting the 9-2 shellacking in game 3). For sheer up-tempo play, these were some of the best games of the 90's.

 

[aegwillnotwinthecup*]

kings 2001 comeback against the red wings in the first round of the playoffs. game three, the wings are up 3-0 in the third period and 2-1 in the series. kings score three third period goals to tie it and deadmarsh wins it in ot. i remember watching it at home with my family and a bunch of friends and everyone freaking out.

just this year in the second round game five where drury tied it with seven seconds left against the rangers was pretty memorable. and also in game two of the ecf against ottawa when briere tied it at 3 with five seconds left was awesome, although ottawa won it in ot.

 

[Wooty]

The Miracle on Manchester on April 10th, 1982. Kings were down 5-0 in the 3rd period to the powerful Oilers in game 3 of the playoffs (it was the season Gretzky scored 92 goals). My Dad wanted to leave the game after the 2nd period ended because we were getting killed, but I talked him out of it. In the 3rd period the Kings scored 5 goals, the tying goal with just 5 seconds left. The forum was in total massive pandemonium, just a mass of bodies jumping up and down while the roar blew out your ear drums. The Kings then won in OT and it was total massive pandemonium Part 2. It's still the greatest comeback in Stanley Cup playoff history.

Hardly a day passes that I still don't think about it

I was at this game also. I was 17 or so.

 

[seventieslord]

how about Toronto's 2002 game 6 triumph over Ottawa? With it coming right after the Alfie cheap shot/Tucker dive, whatever you choose to call it, and Ottawa going up by two early at home, it looked over. The rest of the game was easily the best of those playoffs and I can't think of a better one than that.

 

[Brycios]

Edmonton vs Detroit in the playoffs last year with Edmonton coming from behind to win the game.

 

[clay]

Games 6 and 7 of the Canucks and Calgary series in '04 were bar none the best games I have ever watched. So much passion and heart. Chris Cuthbert did some of the best play-by-play I have ever heard in that series. God he has a great voice and knows the game.

Game 6:

-Canucks go up 4-0, look like they have the game won
-Calgary makes a HUGE charge, ties it at 4-4
-Brendan Morrison comes back in triple OT with "a silencer"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=l09Sin6dsX4
(Allen so stoked, I miss that guy)

Game 7:

-Calgary up 2-1 late in the third, Canucks go on a rush and a series of events that allow Matt Cooke to score with 5 seconds left. Probably one of the happiest monets of my life.
-Canucks come out flat in OT, Gelinas puts an end to an outstanding series.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jHgERFhxd0M

 

[Hockeyfan02]

obscure answer but one of my favourites was the Ottawa-Tampa game near the end (or I think it was the last game of the season) in 2004. It was a fast-paced, back-and-forth game. I forget how it all happened but the score changed several times in the last few minutes, with (I think) Andreychuk sending it into OT with a goal in the dying seconds of the 3rd. Sens ended up winning it in OT, goal by Phillips I believe. Of course, both teams had already made the playoffs at the time so there was really nothing on the line except a bit of bragging rights, but the game itself was well played by both teams, and it had a great ending (if you are a Sens fan).

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/boxscore;_ylt=AkHqt627T45fdSs0ITNF.NVivLYF?gid=2004032920

I went to that game and it was one of the games I thought of when thinking of games I've attended. I've never been to a game that had a crazier ending than that one. That last period was just great action. I remember being pissed after Ottawa scored two late to take the lead and then the Lightning came right back and Andreychuk tied it up again to send it to OT. Sens won, but I was just blown away by those last 5 minutes of the 3rd. Overall it was a great game and I left thinking the two teams were going to meet in the conference finals. It would have been a great series had they met.

 

[Ola]

NYR-NJD Game 6 in 94'. NJD with the lead in the game and in the series -- and they looked rock solid with the lead even back in 94' -- and Mess takes a really unnecessary penalty gooing after Bernie Nichols after Nichols shouted something at him. Before the game Nichols had gone out and talked about what a bad deal NYR had done trading him for Mess and how he was atleast as good as Mess. The rest is history. Mess scores a hat trick.

Sweden-Finland, QF in the WCH, 2003, Helsinki. Sweden is down 5-1 after half the game, turns it around and wins 6-5. Both teams almost had their best players, Sweden with Sundin and Forsberg and the finns with Kouivo and Sellane. Forsberg with a beutyful end to end goal. It can't be described how good that game was.

 

[caseygraves]

Game 7:

-Calgary up 2-1 late in the third, Canucks go on a rush and a series of events that allow Matt Cooke to score with 5 seconds left. Probably one of the happiest monets of my life.
-Canucks come out flat in OT, Gelinas puts an end to an outstanding series.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jHgERFhxd0M

I got game 7 on videotape... one of these days I want to put it on Google Video... but I gotta find a cheap VCR at a garage sale first!

 

[DaveG]

Game 4 - Colorado @ Florida, 1996 Stanley Cup Finals - probably the best goalie duel I've ever seen.
USA vs Canada, 2002 Olympics
Game 4 - Carolina @ Montreal, 2002 Playoffs. aka The Miracle at Molson
Game 1 - Carolina @ Detroit, 2002 Stanley Cup Finals
Game 3 - Detroit @ Carolina, 2002 Stanley Cup Finals
Switzerland vs Canada, 2006 Olympics
Friday, October 28th, 2005 - Carolina 8, Philadelphia 6. Absolute shootout where Carolina had to come back from a 5-3 defecit entering the 3rd period before pulling it out. Eric Staal's first career hat trick.
Game 7 - Buffalo @ Carolina, 2006 Eastern Conference Finals - hell, pretymuch any games from that series could be used, that series was a flat out war.
Game 1 - Edmonton @ Carolina, 2006 Stanley Cup Finals
Game 3 - Vancouver @ Dallas, 2007 Playoffs
Game 5 - Dallas @ Vancouver, 2007 Playoffs
Game 5 - Ottawa @ Buffalo, 2007 Eastern Conference Finals

 

[Coconuts]

Game 3 - Vancouver @ Dallas, 2007 Playoffs
Game 5 - Dallas @ Vancouver, 2007 Playoffs

Best games ever... Are you just making sure we're paying attention?

If I have to pick one that nobody has mentioned yet... I'll say Ottawa vs. Buffalo, Game 1, 2006.
Ottawa thought they had the game won late in the third until Buffalo tied it. Then Smolinski scored and this time it seemed a sure victory--until the Sabres tied it for good, 6-6, in the dying seconds of regulation time.

As unbelievable as the end of the third period was, Drury's coming out and scoring the overtime winner 18 seconds in was an incredible end.

 

[Granlund2Pulkkinen*]

Last Season:
Hemsky scores against Stars with 1 second left to tie it up (Oilers lose in OT)
Joe Sakic gets 100 point against Calgary last game of the season
Penguins destroy Toronto and Crosby gets 5? points and malkin gets 4? points