Your Favorite Stanley Cup Playoffs Moments

[andreydali19]

Hey everyone! How you doing? With this year's Cup Finals about to wrap up on the 19th, I just wanted to come on and get a one-question survey (if you could call it that) going with all of you hockey lovers. What I'm doing is trying to get numerous opinions from you on what your TEN favorite Stanley Cup moments are. From there, once I've gotten plenty/enough choices, I'm going to compare and compile the choices you gave and sometime in the not-too-distant future hopefully get back to all of you with a list of the 50 best S.C. moments in another thread called "Greatest S.C. Playoff Moments". Basically, I'm looking for moments that occured during playoff games only, not significance surrounding the cup winners or specific players who won the Cup. For example, I would count Mud Brunetau's 6-OT game winning goal of the 1936 semis but not the Wings winning their first Cup that same year. The only reason I'd count the significance of players winning their first or last Cup (even if it was their first Cup during their last year of playing [a la Ray Bourque]) is if the player had played exceptionally well or fantastic in more than one series including the Cup Finals. To start you off and guide you along, I'll provide you with my own top ten:

1. Brett Hull's goal in crease (1999)
2. The Bruin's "Too Many Men" incident and it's results (1979)
3. Yzerman's blue line goal in 2-OT (1996)
4. Orr's post-goal flight (1970)
5. Lester Patrick serving as a goalie sub (1928)
6. Lemieux's through-the-legs goals (1991)
7. Gretzky's game 6 OT winner (1993)
8. Darren McCarty's swerving game winner (1997)
9. The Miracle on Manchester (1982)
10. Pete Babando's game 7 OT winner (1950)

Sorry if it's a bit Wing-sided, but yeah I am a Wings fan. Please understand, when I get around to putting up the final list, that it is meant to be opinion-based and is up for debate. But if you could, please feel free to post your top ten S.C. moments lists on this thread so that I can get an idea of what your favorites are. Also feel free to include moments from this year's playoffs.

Click to read more...

 

[El_Scoobo]

Orr's flight was number 1 in my books.

I'm also a fan of any nice goal to end a long overtime. Eg. Keith Primeau's goal from a few years ago.

 

[HandshakeLine]

From a Pens' standpoint:

Frank Pieterangelo's miraculous save against New Jersey's Peter Stastny (in 1992, I think?)

Lemieux's dismantling of Ray Borque in 1991

Kasparitis' fluke goal on Hasek in 2000 to advance to the ECF

Ron Francis' blueline goal against Richter in 1992

I'll add more non-Pens moments later

 

[JWINK19]

Great thread idea. I can't think of 10 spur of the moment, but here's a couple of ideas. I would put Barilko's goal ahead of Babando for two reasons. One, because he died in the offseason afterwards. Two, because it beat the Habs, which history shows is not easy. Of all the games 4 OT's or longer, I would put Lafontaine's goal in 87 at the top of the list, because it was a great game with outstanding goaltending and it wasn't a cheap goal. On a favorite team note, watching Niedermayer make Coffey look like a turnstile to finish his end-to-end rush was classic. I'll post more after pondering some more.

 

[Rumblick]

I don't know about 10, but I'd have to put Richter stopping Bure's penalty shot in there. Bobby Nystrom's OT winner to give the Islanders their first Cup is a biggie, and I'd definitely put Orr's flight in as well. It's not actually a moment, but the Isles coming back from 3-0 down to beat Pitt in 1975 is etched in my mind. Tht begs the question - when you ask about Stanley Cup, do you just refer to the Finals, or are all Cup games "eligible"?

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

These are some (more than 10) of my favorite moments. It is easy to list the two Stanley Cup wins but here are some other memories:

May 9, 1974 -- Bobby Clarke's OT goal in Game 2 of the 1974 Finals in Boston. Prior to that, the Flyers had just one win ever in Boston Garden from their inception in 1967.

May 13, 1975 -- The Islanders were down 3-0 in games then won the next three to set up Game 7 at the Spectrum. In the prior series, the Isles were down 3-0 to the Penguins and won the last four. Out comes Kate Smith to sing "God Bless America." Amazing scene. Flyers went on to win the game, the series and eventually the Cup.

1976 -- Reggie Leach's 19 goals in 16 games earns him a Conn Smyth.

April 10, 1985 -- Flyers vs. Rangers, Game 1 first round. First PO game under coach Mike Keenan. The previous three PO seasons under Bob McCammon, the Flyers went 1-9 in 10 PO games and were twice eliminated by the Rangers in the first round (all series were best of 5). Flyers led with 26 seconds left and then NY scored to tie it. The obvious feeling was "Here we go again." Mark Howe scored in OT; the team eventually made it to the Finals.

May 16, 1985 -- Flyers shorthanded down 5 men to 3 vs. Quebec in Game 6, Dave Poulin intercepts the puck and skates in for a goal giving the Flyers a 3-0 lead in the Conference Finals clincher.

May 4, 1987 -- Ilkka Sinisalo scores in OT Game 1 vs. Montreal, the defending Champs, in the Conference Finals. Flyers win the series in 6 in the series that included the infamous pregame brawl in Montreal.

May 28, 1987 -- Jean Jacques Daigneault's game-winning bullet just inside the blueline with 5:32 to play in Game 6 of the 1987 Finals. Maybe the loudest I have ever heard the Spectrum for a Flyers' game.

April 10, 1988 -- Flyers, down 2-1 in the series and 4-1 in the game with less than 10 minutes to play vs. Washington, win in OT on a Murray Craven shot. Caps win the series, however, in 7.

April 11,1989 -- Goalie Ron Hextall scores in Game 5 at Washington.

May 4, 2000 -- Keith Primeau's Game 4 winner in the 5th OT evens the series against Pittsburgh. Time of day was around 2:35 a.m.

April 16, 2003 -- Mark Recchi nets the triple-overtime winner in Game 4 at Toronto to even a series that eventually goes the max to the Flyers. Flyers had 75 shots on goal, tied for the highest total in post-expansion NHL playoffs (tied with Washington vs. NYI). The series is the second longest (time-wise) in NHL history (1939: Rangers-Bruins series is first).

May 20, 2004 -- Facing elimination at home in Game 6 of the Conference Finals, Keith Primeau scores with 1:49 left in regulation and Simon Gagne nets the OT game winner vs. Tampa Bay.

 

[ClassicHockey]

I think Orr's o/t goal in 1970 is remembered because of the way he scored and that it won the Cup. But there was no question that Boston would win the Cup anyways and the goal is probably overrated as far as drama is concerned.

I would mention Maurice Richard's winning goal when he was concussed and half conscious. That type of goal would never happen today because the player would not be allowed on the ice suffering such a terrible injury like that.

Orr's flight was number 1 in my books.

I'm also a fan of any nice goal to end a long overtime. Eg. Keith Primeau's goal from a few years ago.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Bobby Baun's feat, from wikipedia:
However, he will forever be remembered for scoring the overtime winner in game six against the Detroit Red Wings in the 1964 playoffs on the 23rd of April. Earlier in that same game, he had had his ankle broken. He then returned from his injury in overtime to score the game winner. The Leafs won the next game, game seven, 4-0 for their third consecutive Stanley Cup.

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

 

[ClassicHockey]

Wikipedia is not entirely correct.

Baun stopped a Howe shot mid-3rd period. Then a few minutes later Baun collapsed and was taken off on a stretcher. They froze the ankle and he came back right away in the third period, maybe missing a shift or two. Of course, he played in overtime as well.

It was a small bone cracked in the foot - not really a real broken ankle. But Baun has lived off the fame of that feat for many years afterwards.

Actually, Baun's injury was nothing compared to what Red Kelly went through prior to and after game 7. In the dressing room prior to the game, the doctors had Kelly on a table with huge needles placed into his knee to freeze the knee. The Leaf players themselves were squeamish seeing this and couldn't look.
Kelly played that game but afterwards, when the freezing wore out, he was in such pain that he passed out in the shower where Tim Horton had to pick him up. They rushed Kelly to the hospital and he missed the post game celebrations.

That's what hockey players were made of back them. Don't ever question their courage and will to win. That's one reason why those players could excel in the game today.

Bobby Baun's feat, from wikipedia:
However, he will forever be remembered for scoring the overtime winner in game six against the Detroit Red Wings in the 1964 playoffs on the 23rd of April. Earlier in that same game, he had had his ankle broken. He then returned from his injury in overtime to score the game winner. The Leafs won the next game, game seven, 4-0 for their third consecutive Stanley Cup.

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

 

[vikash1987]

* 1996 Playoffs - Florida fans shower the ice with plastic rats, scaring the crap out of opposing goalies

* May 25, 2000 - Jason Arnott's 2OT goal clinches the Cup for NJ

* 2003 Playoffs - JS Giguere single-handedly shuts down powerhouses Detroit and Dallas

* April 2006 - Devils sweep the Rangers

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

Wayne Gretzky chasing Billy Smith to the bench in '84 was pretty sweet for Oilers fans. Billy was a hell of a goalie.

 

[chooch*]

Agreed Bobby Orr's flying goal was in an almost meaningless game (if you can say that about the cup winning game). I'd take his goal v. rangers when he split the d in the 72 finals over that one. Stunning.

Mario's goals (take your pick) in the early 90's.

Lafleur's utter domination in 3rd period Game 7 79.

Messier's snap shot in 84. Messier's "guaranteed win" goals in 94.

Lafleurs Game 3 goal beating Cheevers on a 2 on 1 with Shutt in the 77 Finals was a backhand of sublime beauty.

Ward's save on Pisani late in G7. I think Oilers win if he scores.

Dryden's save on Pappin 71

Richard's goal past a falling Magnusen and beating Tony 0 high glove side g7 71.

claude Lemiuex beating Liut 86 playoffs

Leclair 93

Chelios crunching Propp 87.

Middleton missing high on a breakway v. Penney early in G1 84.

Lafleur beating Rutherford with slapper g4 78 quarters. Hardest shot for a goal I ever saw.

Lafleur beats Garrett (?) G3 80 playoffs - injured a few minutes later and never the same. I can still hear the ping of back of the net from shot outside blueline.

 

[Snap Wilson]

Geez, Chooch and I agree on several of these. I'm getting scared. Love Mess's shot in 1984. Stripped an Oiler and turned Potvin inside out.

Bob Bourne's end-to-end rush.

Two more as a Duck fan. Ozo's game-winner over Dallas in Game Six.

The look on Modano's face after being stoned by Jiggy.

 

[raleh]

1. Barilko's game winner
2. Boston's too many men
3. Claude Lemieux eliminating Hartford in '86
4. Beliveau's 2 goals and 2 assists against the Bruins in game 2 of the first round in '71 to come back from being down 5-1.
5. Kariya scoring the game winner after being rocked by Stevens (even though they lost the series)
6. Rocket's 5 goal game
7. Rocket's goal on Jim Henry
8. Lanny Mcdonald's play in the '89 final.
9. The stick being illegal in '93
10. Sawchuck's performance against the Hawks in the first round in '67