your teams most crushing playoff OT loss...that you've witnessed

So what is the worst playoff OT loss that you've ever sat through. You have to pick just one and say why, but it must be something that you're old enough to really absorb and have it sting inside. A 28 year old Flyer fan can't say the Nystrom game for obvious reasons....

 

An older Flyers' fan can.

Second on the list would be Game 7 1988 at Washington. Flyers led 3-1 in the series, after an amazing comeback from a 4-1 3rd period deficit, and 3-0 in this game, but the Caps scored the next 4, the Flyers tied it and then lost in OT on a Dale Hunter shot. It signaled the end of the Mike Keenan coached Flyers' team for which I really had a strong affinity.

 

2004 Playoffs, Montreal vs. Boston, game 5. The game where Kovalev got slashed and let go of the puck and got run into by Souray, which created a breakaway for Glen Murray. He scored 5 hole on Theodore, I believe it was in triple OT. The Habs had been pretty much dominating most of the OT periods, getting a large portion of the chances.

That game put the Habs down 3-1, after that game I was convinced the series was over, and I was in a bad mood for the rest of the night and the whole next day. Then Kovalev and the rest of the Habs decided to take matters into his own hands and won 3 straight to take the series in 7.

Another painful one is Niclas Wallin in 2002 against Montreal, this after Carolina overcame a 3-0 deficit. That goal basically killed the Habs that year.

 

'96, Flames-Blackhawks, game 4, Blackhawks lead series 3-0. Flames are the underdogs by a wide margin.

After an awful game 3 Kidd is benched and Pagé starts Rick Tabaracci in net.

Whilst Tabaracci keeps the Flames in it, keeping the Blackhawks scoreless, some young upstart playing in his second NHL game... Ig...Ig-something... Iguana? No, no, no.... Iginla! Yeah, that's it, Iginla, scores in the second period to make it one-zip.

It looked like Calgary was going to win this one. Chicago pulls Belfour in the last minute. The Blackhawks press hard... the puck is fed to Jeremy Roenick at the point. He takes a shot through traffic and scores! With 9 seconds left! Dammit!

The game goes into OT. Lots of good chances. Tabaracci is still standing on his head.

It goes into double-overtime. Much the same.

Then into triple-overtime...


In triple overtime, on a routine dump-in, Trent Yawney plays the puck behind Tabaracci. Tired after almost 120 minutes of play, Yawney makes a terrible pass right in front of Tabaracci, giving it away to Joe Murphy. Tabaracci had no chance... Murphy scores... 2-1 final.

The Flames wouldn't play another playoff game for eight years.

 

Keith Primeau scoring the overtime goal against the Penguins in 2000. I believe Game 4. Oh that crushed my heart.

 

Probably Matteau against the Devils

 

There are plenty for Ranger fans to mull over - JP Parise, Ken Morrow and Ken Dryden - all come to mind when bringing up such a topic. But, one of recent memory that stands out to me is Game 4 in 1992 against the Pens. Rangers are up 4-2, past the midway point in the 3rd period. The Ranger have a five minute PP, but do nothing. Still, five minuites are drained off the clock, and the Rangers are less than 6 minutes away from taking a 3-1 series lead in the Campbell Conference semi-finals, and headed home, no less. While both teams are changing, Ron Francis fires a seemingly innocent 90-ft shot that somehow eludes Mike Richter and ends up bringing the Pens to within a goal. The Pens would then tie the game and Joey Mullen would score a few minutes into OT. The Rangers NEVER recovered, and the Pens went on to win the Cup. Yes, the Rangers won the Cup two years later. But, they had to spend too many resources to do so. Weight, Amonte, Domi and Turcotte don't get dealt. And, the mid-90's look a lot different for the Rangers

 

For Vancouver fans there are three memorable moments:

Losing Game 7 to the Rangers in 1994 - a pox on you Nathan Lafayette as late in the third period and trailing 3-2, he rang a shot off the goal post that would have tied up the game.

THE Lidstrom goal on Cloutier and subsequent meltdown after leading the Wings 2 games to none.

Being up on the Wild 3 games to 1 and losing the series AND being up in Game 7 by a score of 2-0 in the second period and losing the game 4-2 to the Wild. kind of two-fer.

 

I always thought the Rangers would've won the Cuo un 1992 had they won that game, they might've won it again in 1994 anyway but the curse could've been broken earlier.

 

Hmm nothing that i can remember Big habs fan and Avs fan when they had Roy but nothin i can remember to vividly

 

Those are play-off OT losses?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

 

For me it was Game 3 of the 2001 Oilers/Stars series. The Stars lead 2-0 up to like 1:03 left in the 3rd, and with 5 seconds left in the 3rd the game is tied at 2 and the Coliseum is going absolutely crazy. I think Beniot Hogue killed us with like 15 seconds left in the 1st overtime. We deserved better.

 

None of which were in overtime.



It always bothered me that the Flyers lost the last game at the Spectrum. Double OT loss to Florida on a goal by Mike Hough

 

The worst I've witnessed in my time is game 6 of the 1998 first round, when Brian Bellows put away the Bruins in OT in a series that could've gone either way. If Tim Taylor's foot were a couple inches back a couple games before, maybe it's the Bruins who make the run to the finals, and not Washington.

 

I lived in BC for 30 years, there are a dozen more just like these that perpetuate the Canucks losing legend.

The all time Canucks classic, though is Game 7 1989 against Calgary. Stan Smyl had a breakaway in OT and shot it right into Mike Vernon's trapper. The Flames scored with under a minute to go in the first OT and eliminated the Canucks. That OT summarizes 36 years of Canucks hockey.

 

Joel Otto, and that goal never should have counted, clearly kicked in.

 

Caps Pens

Curse you Peter Nedved.

 

Blues fans simple - '96 Yzerman in doubt OT game 7, Nick Kypreos cost the Blues their best chance to win the Cup when he rolled on Fuhr, errrr I mean when he did a "hockey play" on Fuhr. Poor Jon Casey, all you see is Yzerman step over the line step up see Macinnis cross the path of the puck and in top corner.

 

Nathan LaFayette gets way too much flack for hitting the crossbar. The play that everyone forgets is Marty Gelinas clanging the post late in the third period with Mike Richter down and out.

The Otto goal in 1989 was a crusher. So was Gelinas' goal in 2004 that knocked the Canucks out of the playoffs. Don't know if the Canucks would have defeated San Jose in the next round (that Sharks team had a lot of similarities to the Flames).

From the under-rated file: Game 5 vs. the LA Kings in 1993. Series was tied at 2-2. Canucks had throttled the Kings 7-2 the night before in L.A. Game 5 at the Coliseum. In double overtime, Gary Frickin' Shuchuk scored to win the game. Canucks were deflated and lost Game 6 and the series. LA went on to the Stanley Cup final.

 

Game 5 (best of 5 series) vs the Nordiques in 1982 eliminating the Habs
Game 7 vs the Nordiques in 1985 eliminating the Habs

 

that '82 series has been matched by few since for entertainment value

 

Definitely.

Nothing like staying up all night to get your heart broken. By the Flyers, no less.

 

Flames-Lightning: Game 6.

I get teary eyed just thinking about it.

 

Real easy, the 99 finals, No Goal. I've never gone from depressed (from the goal) to full of hope (upon seeing Hull's foot in the crease) to plain furious (when it wasn't called back) in less than 5 minutes before.

 

I always thought that it was Cliff Ronning who hit the post.