Greatest Playoff in NHL History?

[Byron Bitz]

What would you say was the greatest post season in NHL history? The 1993 playoffs had to be right up there. So many epic overtime goals such as Brad May’s mayday goal and Gilmour’s crafty wrap around. You had a bunch of controversy such as Gretzkys High stick on Gilmour and the goalie interference on Belfour for the blues to win the series in OT. Patrick Roy’s incredible performance. Could go on.

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[Spirit of 67]

I won't offer up a year as there are so many that I've seen and few stand out. As well, I've seen less than half of them.

However, I will agree that '93 was special.
From a personal stand point, the whole Leafs run that year was great.
Some of the things you eluded to are as well.

I'll add the incredible Islanders upset of Pittsburgh, Quebec's inability to close out games against Montreal and the only hat trick in finals by a defenceman.

The one thing that stands out, and you mentioned, was St. Patrick's performance that year. Best PO performance I've seen I think. In the NHL anyway.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

2011 has to be up there for recent years.

round 1 has 4 7 game series
14 OT games
3 2OT games
a classic Montreal/Boston series with 3 OT games, a game 7 and a 2-0 series comeback.
Tampa comes back from down 3-1
Chicago down 3-0 pushes to a game 7, losing in OT

round 2 was a snoozer in the East, 2 sweeps
but out west theres a 6 and 7 game series
Detroit becomes the 2nd team to comeback from 3-0 and force a 7

conference finals were great in the east. back and forth 7 game slugfest with an all time classic 1-0 game 7

2011 Cup Finals speak for themselves...the storylines, the hate, the emotions, the crazy games

 

[Byron Bitz]

I won't offer up a year as there are so many that I've seen and few stand out. As well, I've seen less than half of them.

However, I will agree that '93 was special.
From a personal stand point, the whole Leafs run that year was great.
Some of the things you eluded to are as well.

I'll add the incredible Islanders upset of Pittsburgh, Quebec's inability to close out games against Montreal and the only hat trick in finals by a defenceman.

The one thing that stands out, and you mentioned, was St. Patrick's performance that year. Best PO performance I've seen I think. In the NHL anyway.

Also in 93 future Tsn Analyst Ray Ferraro had the performance of his career scoring 13 goals and 20 points in 18 playoff games for the Islanders. Led his team in playoff points and scored some big overtime winners.

 

[The Panther]

The first NHL playoff I was old enough to sort-of follow from beginning to end was 1987's, and it was a memorable one:

- Islanders take down the Capitals in game 7 OT, in one of the longest games in history (the OT was broadcast coast-to-coast across Canada)
- Maple Leafs upset the Blues in round one; Winnipeg upsets the Flames
- Mike Bossy's last-ever NHL appearance, in round two vs. Philly
- Three of the four round-two series went 7 games: Canadiens over Nordiques; Flyers over Islanders; Red Wings over Maple Leafs
- Flyer over Canadiens in round three; included the pre-game brawl before game 6
- Stanley Cup Final was a classic 7-gamer between the top-two teams, and went down to the third period of the last game.


1989 was pretty good, too, with the whole Gretzy vs. Edmonton angle, plus Hextall vs. Chelios, and two Canadian teams in the Final.

1993 indeed had a lot of drama and interesting runs by teams.

 

[Boxscore]

My two favorite playoff years were 1986-87 and 1992-93. Nothing else has come close for me.

 

[The Panther]

Thinking about it, I think NHL teams/playoffs now just don't have the same human drama as in the late-80s-to-mid-90s.

 

[Boxscore]

Thinking about it, I think NHL teams/playoffs now just don't have the same human drama as in the late-80s-to-mid-90s.

Definitely not. And, I hate to say it, but a lot of that goes back to how physical the NHL was back then. I mean, the 1987 playoffs were legendary for multiple reasons, but who would ever forget the Flyers vs. Habs brawl on Forum ice after warm-ups with no officials on the ice to break it up? Or Hextall attacking Chelios? Messier's vicious elbows? The Battle of Quebec? Or the wars in Alberta?

On top of those years being dominated by Gretzky, Lemieux, Roy, etc., there was intense drama and emotions running high.

 

[alko]

2012 , first round was also amazing:

In East 3 from 4 series were 7-game series + fantastic Pens : Flyers match. Bruins and New Jersey decided in OT (OT 2).

Coyotes : Blackhawks in 2. round - 5 from 6 games were OT games. Great second round Caps : Rangers. And at the end LA Kings won it.

 

[tony d]

1993. That whole season for pretty good. The playoffs that year were good too; Final series for now between Quebec and Montreal, the Leafs run, Gretzky's last trip to the cup final. The Pens getting upset in Round 2. Patrick Roy and Montreal's run to the cup.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Among recent ones, 2013 stands out for me. The four semi-finalists were the four best teams, and the four teams that have won all of the last 9 Stanley Cups. A great final between two Original Six teams. One last playoff series between Chicago and Detroit, going to OT in Game 7. The insane Game 7 between Toronto and Boston.

Going back a bit further, I remember 2002 fondly for whatever reason. Carolina was an unlikely, but likeable underdog. That great Islanders-Leafs bloodbath series. Ottawa-Toronto was a great 7-gamer as well. Vancouver jumping out 2-0 on the Red Wings before the infamous Cloutier whiff. San Jose looked like they were going to knock off Colorado but got Forsberg-ed at the end. The last true battle between the Red Wings and Avalanche, Roy's gaffe and then the stunning blowout.

 

[Nadal On Clay]

Among recent ones, 2013 stands out for me. The four semi-finalists were the four best teams, and the four teams that have won all of the last 9 Stanley Cups. A great final between two Original Six teams. One last playoff series between Chicago and Detroit, going to OT in Game 7. The insane Game 7 between Toronto and Boston.

Going back a bit further, I remember 2002 fondly for whatever reason. Carolina was an unlikely, but likeable underdog. That great Islanders-Leafs bloodbath series. Ottawa-Toronto was a great 7-gamer as well. Vancouver jumping out 2-0 on the Red Wings before the infamous Cloutier whiff. San Jose looked like they were going to knock off Colorado but got Forsberg-ed at the end. The last true battle between the Red Wings and Avalanche, Roy's gaffe and then the stunning blowout.

2013 would’ve been my choice too if not for that shit show of a 3rd round between Bs and Pens. At least, from a Pens fan perspective

 

[Bluesguru]

Thinking about it, I think NHL teams/playoffs now just don't have the same human drama as in the late-80s-to-mid-90s.

That's exactly right.

I've said that before about the games from the 80's compared to today's game. The game today is played faster with less stoppages but I'll take a great game back then over a great game today simply because those games back then had drama.

 

[justafan22]

This might be recency bias, but I'll put 2014 up there.

3 first round game 7s, including the Kings 3-0 comeback vs the sharks, and a great game 7 between minnesota and colorado in OT.

A great 2nd round where 3 of the 4 series went seven games, including a classic Montreal-Boston series where Subban and Lucic took full stage. The end of Selanne in the NHL with Kings-Ducks. And the incredible Rangers-Penguins series down 3-1 where MSL's mother passes away and the rangers rally for 3 straight wins, with his mother's day goal being surreal in game 6 and lundqvist being a god in game 7.

2 good conference finals despite Price being hurt in game 1, Lundqvist being amazing again, but the real story was out west. The 2014 WCF is probably my favourite playoff series post 2004 lockout.

Hawks win game 1, then the Kings win 3 straight. This led to games 5-7 which in itself were just unbelievable. Game 5 where there 5 minutes of overtime straight with no whistles at all. Games 6 and 7 were back and forth affairs with game 7 in OT on a strange bounce.

The finals albeit only in 5 games had 4 one goal games, and 3 overtime games.
Rangers blew three 2 goal leads in game 2 and lose in OT.
And then game 5, where it went into double overtime and the kings won on a Martinez shot. That overtime was my favourite clinching game OT in a while.

It isn't as historical as 1993, but 2014 is up there in terms of entertaining playoffs with the storylines involved.

 

[GMR]

If David Volek didn't exist, the answer would easily be 1993. He really screwed up the remainder of those playoffs for me.