10/14/95 - Boston leads by 2 with 1:00 left and loses in regulation

[Fenway]

This is simply fascinating to watch.

Click to read more...

 

[tarheelhockey]

Quite a gem, thanks for posting.

What's most astonishing to me is that with something like 24 seconds left, the Bruins had a lead with an offensive zone faceoff after an icing, won the faceoff, and still lost in regulation.

 

[Fenway]

Quite a gem, thanks for posting.

What's most astonishing to me is that with something like 24 seconds left, the Bruins had a lead with an offensive zone faceoff after an icing, won the faceoff, and still lost in regulation.

I was on my couch and stared at the TV for an hour

 

[Big Phil]

Unbelievable! Imagine having a lead with 1 minute left - a two goal lead - and someone told you that you were going to lose in regulation, you wouldn't believe it. You would have made a ton of money on it. You know, Boston was still a good team that year, this was Bourque's last "big" year in Boston and Dallas wasn't good at all. Not to mention there were players like Neely, Dave Reid, Don Sweeney, Bourque, etc. on the ice that you figure are more than capable of preventing a goal.

Weird, weird game. I don't know if there is one quite like that.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Not to mention there were players like Neely, Dave Reid, Don Sweeney, Bourque, etc. on the ice that you figure are more than capable of preventing a goal.

Without watching the rest of the game it's hard to say why, but the Bruins were just flubbing the puck forward at every opportunity. I don't know if they had a short bench or what, but they weren't even making an effort to maintain any sort of possession.

On the first goal Sweeney had total control with zero pressure (due to a missed hooking call btw) and instead of going off the glass or skating it, he just lobs it right at Matvichuk. And then recovers so slowly that I'd have to think he was completely gassed or injured... something.

On the second goal Sweeney again has clean possession in the offensive zone, and slaps the puck into a cluster of Stars for absolutely no reason. If he'd dumped it or passed it, the game would have been practically over. And then Reid did the same thing as on the first goal, just flubbing the puck backward for a turnover.

Third goal was just a lack of focus and hustle, two Bruins being in a position to eat the puck and both missing it completely. You probably want a save from Billington there, but it's hard to blame him when the D is giving it up in front of him over and over.

 

[Fenway]

From the Boston Globe

In the end, Bruins are left seeing Stars Dallas gets three in last 49 seconds

Boston Globe (pre-1997 Fulltext) - Boston, Mass.
Author: Marrapese, Nancy L
Date: Oct 15, 1995
Start Page: 90
Section: SPORTS

DALLAS -- It took Mike Tyson all of 89 seconds to TKO Peter McNeeley and everyone thought that was short.

It took the Dallas Stars only 44.4 seconds to score three goals (a franchise record) and bury the Bruins, 6-5, last night in the most monumental collapse in recent memory.

For the second time this season, which encompasses only five games, the Bruins lost three two-goal leads. The first time, against the Islanders, they were able to get away with a tie. Not this time.

Leading, 3-1, 4-2 and 5-3, the Bruins surrendered goals with 48.8 seconds left (Kevin Hatcher), with 15.2 seconds left (Mike Modano, with goalie Andy Moog pulled for a sixth attacker) and with 4.4 seconds left (Guy Carbonneau).

The Bruins played more than 59 minutes of terrific hockey in their best game so far, only to blink long enough for the Stars to deliver a tremendous roundhouse right that left them stunned and frustrated.

"It's without a doubt the worst defeat I've ever been associated with," said coach Steve Kasper, whose team is an underachieving 1-2-2. "And I'm not talking about my coaching career. I'm talking about since I've been in the National Hockey League, starting in 1980. Out of the five games we've played, this is by far, and there's not even a close second, the best for 59 minutes and 12 seconds. We did exactly what our game plan was. We just went to sleep. We thought the game was over. The mistakes that were made should never, ever happen. In five games, we've won one game. We should be better than that."

And they almost were. Cam Neely scored a pair of goals in the first period, boosting his total to six, with center Adam Oates assisting on both. The club's second scoring line -- left wing Kevin Stevens, center Todd Elik and right wing Sandy Moger -- showed great signs of life after four games of virtual hibernation.

Elik had two goals, and Stevens and Moger each had an assist. Elik's second goal, at 5:44 of the third, had the Bruins in the driver's seat. Unfortunately for them, they wound up driving right off a cliff.

"It's a pretty amazing thing," said Stevens. "I've never seen anything like it. I've been on a lot of offensive teams that never did it, either. We never scored three goals that quick. That's a tough loss. To have the game in hand and throw it away, it's tough. But to score three in 48 seconds, we collapsed, but they got some bounces, too."

 

[The Panther]

Wow, I don't remember this. Weird ending!

What seemed odd to me was having Oates and Neely out there with 0:40 left and a one goal lead. I know Oates was good on faceoffs, and they're in the offensive end of the ice, but right after a goal is scored against and you're clinging and just have to play 40 seconds of smart defensive hockey, it seems an odd choice by Kasper.

This is the kind of exciting finish that's probably impossible nowadays, sadly.

 

[tarheelhockey]

^ not only that, but Dallas put their checking line out there for the final faceoff and ended up scoring the GWG

Very little of this 60 seconds of hockey made sense

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I was on my couch and stared at the TV for an hour

The broken TV?

I know I broke something, either the remote or my hand.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Schedule

Boston was playing their third road game in four nights out of their time zone Colorado/San Jose/Dallas:

http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/hspgames.cgi

Dallas was playing the third game of a four game homestand.

Early season. Boston was tired and it showed in the last minute.

 

[Hawksfan2828]

The broken TV?

I know I broke something, either the remote or my hand.

What did you do when the Hawks scored 2 goals in 17 seconds?

I imagine indeed you really did break your TV..

Hey you got a cup tho previously so the loss was probably easier to take..

 

[bobholly39]

absolutely crazy. i couldn't even imagine this.

 

[Fenway]

What did you do when the Hawks scored 2 goals in 17 seconds?

I imagine indeed you really did break your TV..

Hey you got a cup tho previously so the loss was probably easier to take..

I saw that in person

 

[Hawksfan2828]

I saw that in person

If it matters, I was just as puzzled as you, I suppose my team just won tho...

I was like did this really just happen? I was already bracing myself for a game 7..

Casual hockey fans were jumping up and down and I'm like "what?"

If it matters I was thinking to myself the Hawks have won 2 cups in the most unusual ways... Kane in Philly with that goal in OT and then those 2 goals in 17 seconds..

Well with the Kane goal in Philly I heard the "thump" sound when it hit the net so I knew it was in, but it doesn't make it any less weird..

 

[Big Phil]

Wow, I don't remember this. Weird ending!

What seemed odd to me was having Oates and Neely out there with 0:40 left and a one goal lead. I know Oates was good on faceoffs, and they're in the offensive end of the ice, but right after a goal is scored against and you're clinging and just have to play 40 seconds of smart defensive hockey, it seems an odd choice by Kasper.

This is the kind of exciting finish that's probably impossible nowadays, sadly.

As was mentioned, the 2013 finish to the Stanley Cup was similar to this but with two quick goals instead of three. Boston fell victim to that as well, go figure. But that was a game that had a complete 180 feel to it as well. It can happen, but it is just one of those fluke things that didn't happen even in high scoring eras either.

As for Oates, he was always responsible defensively and you'd have to think Dallas is pulling the goalie so a guy like him is in better shape to capitalize on a turnover and seal the empty netter.

 

[Fenway]

In only five minutes in real time Boston went from:

A Game 7 in Chicago where anything could have happened to

OK - we will win this in OT to

A handshake line

I will never understand why Julien didn't call a time out after the game was tied to settle down the team. You could sense Chicago was going to go for the kill.

Chicago won in 6 but it was a much closer 6 than what you had in 2010 against Philadelphia.

Boston missed open nets in Game 1 and Game 4

[NHL]258955[/NHL]

[NHL]259895[/NHL]

If it matters, I was just as puzzled as you, I suppose my team just won tho...

I was like did this really just happen? I was already bracing myself for a game 7..

Casual hockey fans were jumping up and down and I'm like "what?"

If it matters I was thinking to myself the Hawks have won 2 cups in the most unusual ways... Kane in Philly with that goal in OT and then those 2 goals in 17 seconds..

Well with the Kane goal in Philly I heard the "thump" sound when it hit the net so I knew it was in, but it doesn't make it any less weird..

 

[HisIceness]

I had a pretty good laugh at the UPN logo. I remember watching Charlotte Hornets games on UPN, and WB

I also got a chuckle out of the Rock n Roll part 2 music. I know that song is still being used today, albeit not as often as it was say 5 years ago, but that song was like the epitome of going to a sports game in the 90's.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Were all games that slow back then?

 

[ColeJ]

that's one of my earliest memories of being a dallas stars fan. i will always love that game. what an ending. my entire family was screaming with excitement.

 

[SourTemplePilot]

I was there with my mom and brother. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen! Well, other than being there for inaugural game versus Detroit on Oct. 1993.

Funny, most in attendance were still there. Why, well outside Reunion arena was the "Stars Club". A huge tent for season ticket holders. Players from both teams would often stop in and grab a beer before heading out.

Roenick and Chelios stopped there whenever in Dallas in mid 90's. They'd get hooked up with drinks every time. Haha.

I snuck a beer there a couple of times. I was 14-15, lol. Good times!

 

[Jim MacDonald]

What I wonder is if this loss sent the Bruins into a temporary "tailspin." If they went on a nasty losing streak or something etc. Maybe the only silver lining was that this happened so early in the season.

 

[Normand Lacombe]

What I wonder is if this loss sent the Bruins into a temporary "tailspin." If they went on a nasty losing streak or something etc. Maybe the only silver lining was that this happened so early in the season.

Short term maybe it did. The Bruins went 4-7-1 following this loss to Dallas. They hovered around the .500 mark for most of the season before going on a hot streak in March and April to finish with 40 wins.

What was Kevin Hatcher thinking when he iced the puck with the goalie pulled? He had an open winger to his left that he could have passed it to and Hatcher never looked in that direction.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Hatcher...? Thinking...? Is that one of those paradoxical trick questions?

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I was there with my mom and brother. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen! Well, other than being there for inaugural game versus Detroit on Oct. 1993.

Funny, most in attendance were still there. Why, well outside Reunion arena was the "Stars Club". A huge tent for season ticket holders. Players from both teams would often stop in and grab a beer before heading out.

Roenick and Chelios stopped there whenever in Dallas in mid 90's. They'd get hooked up with drinks every time. Haha.

I snuck a beer there a couple of times. I was 14-15, lol. Good times!

A curse on your soul for bringing this thread back to life!