What is the greatest NHL game of all-time?

[FaceWash]

Kings vs Oilers April 10, 1982 the Miracle on Manchester

 

[Big Phil]

I've also enjoyed the couple of games that I've seen from the 1974 finals between the Flyers and the Bruins, but I can't really name one game.

First game that comes to mind with that series is Game 2. That was a very critical game, not only in the series but you can argue in hockey history. Clarke's overtime winner, Dupont tying it up with 50 seconds left. If the Bruins win that game they are up 2-0 in the series and I'm calling that a victory regardless of how well the Flyers played afterwards. An Orr-Esposito Bruins team probably doesn't squander that lead. In overtime I think it was Gregg Sheppard with a breakaway that was stopped by Parent, point blank. Overall that was a pretty exciting game.

That game had incridible drama with Crosby injury and Hossa being in a position to lose 2 straight finals, but it was not amazing hockey, although I enjoyed a lot.

I think intense for the stakes involved in it (ie. Game 7 Cup final, Crosby perhaps winning his first one, repeat of the 2008 final) but I found that game they both sat back a little too much not wanting to make mistakes. Maybe this is what led to Detroit losing? Because when Crosby got injured they were up 2-0 (or was it 1-0) on the Wings and that was the time I would have blitzed. I would say the final 10 minutes or so of the game were fun to watch though. One goal game, a post was hit, and then of course THE save.

 

[The Panther]

One of my favorite photos from the aftermath of the Easter game.

View attachment 188265

Didn't Kelly Hrudey lose about 6 pounds or something during this game?

 

[GMR]

Come on guys. The best game the Penguins ever played was game 7 of the 1995 Finals against Chicago in "Sudden Death". Game had everything. End to end action, a backup goalie sucker punching a player with minutes left in the game, and a breakaway goal by Luc Robitaille to force OT at the buzzer!

 

[Jim MacDonald]

Come on guys. The best game the Penguins ever played was game 7 of the 1995 Finals against Chicago in "Sudden Death". Game had everything. End to end action, a backup goalie sucker punching a player with minutes left in the game, and a breakaway goal by Luc Robitaille to force OT at the buzzer!

I need to rewatch "Sudden Death" immediately as it has been so long it would be like watching a brand new movie. I need to observe if VanDamme was a butterfly goalie or a stand up!

 

[frisco]

Game Five Pittsburgh at Detroit in 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. Talbot ties it with 30 seconds left. Sykora wins in in the 3rd OT.

Game Three Pittsburgh at Washington 1996 First Round. Lemieux is ejected for instigating in the 2nd period. Nedved wins it late in the 4th OT. Capitals stopped on a penalty shot in OT.

Miracle on Manchester.

1992 Game One Stanley Cup Finals. Chicago takes 4-1 lead midway through second but Lemieux and Jagr lead a come from behind 5-4 win.

Monday Night Miracle Flames at Blues Game 5 1986 Campbell Finals. Blues down 5-2 with 12 minutes left but win in OT.

Game One 1990 Stanley Cup Finals. Klima wins it in triple OT over Bruins.

My Best-Carey

I'm going to add one that I don't think's been mentioned. Game Seven of the Oilers-Flames 1991 First Round. Flames buoyed by Fleury's rink long OT celebration in Game Six jump out to 3-0 lead early but Oilers come back and actually lead 4-3 with two minutes left when Stern ties it for Calgary. Tikkanen would not let Edmonton lose as he finishes the hat trick in OT.

My Best-Carey

 

[The Panther]

That '91 Edmonton - Calgary series was as much a crime scene as a hockey series.

There are literally vicious elbows to the head, after the play, a few feet in front of the onlooking referee -- plays that would be a multiple match penalty and a thirty-game suspension today -- that are ignored, just because... the ref wasn't in the mood to call a penalty.

 

[Khomutov]

 

[golfortennis]

Going to make a regular season contribution here. Nov 2008(can't recall exact date-too lazy to look it up.) Pitt at Detroit. Red Wings go up 5-2 early in third, Pens tie it late at 6 to send it to OT, and score in OT for the win.

 

[Terrier]

Did anyone mention Game 7 of the Battle of the Hudson in 1994? I was a neutral and that game had me bouncing out of my couch.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Dueling hatricks was my favourite game of all time. Kind of like Ali vs Frazier I. Two guys with Legit claims to the crown going at it.

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

the winner

 

[8LX7psQ]

Game 1 or 2, Norris Division Finals 1993. Felix the Cat vs Cujo, both standing on their heads into double overtime. Some better games have already been mentioned but I loved this series as a kid.

 

[WingsFan95]

Really hard to say because there's essentially 3 factors to consider:

Quality of Play
Narrative
Stakes

I'm not putting an order on that but certainly playoff games have to get top billing.

Game 6 of the 93 Western Final, Kings 5-4 in OT against the Leafs really is special in all 3 aspects. But I'll also suggest the following:

Game 7 of 2000 East Final, Devils 2-1 Flyers
Game 1 of 2007 West Quarter, Canucks 5-4 Stars in 4 OT, Goaltender Duel after a shoot-out.
Game 3 1996 West Semi, Blues 5-4 Red Wings in OT

 

[Big Phil]

I'm going to add one that I don't think's been mentioned. Game Seven of the Oilers-Flames 1991 First Round. Flames buoyed by Fleury's rink long OT celebration in Game Six jump out to 3-0 lead early but Oilers come back and actually lead 4-3 with two minutes left when Stern ties it for Calgary. Tikkanen would not let Edmonton lose as he finishes the hat trick in OT.

My Best-Carey

A great game that finished a great series. I know this will sound like hindsight but when Messier coughed that puck up to Fleury for the overtime winner one thing that no one pays attention to is Messier's reaction because we are all focused on Fleury. Messier can't catch Fleury and when the goal goes in he just sort of flicks his stick as if to say "My fault boys, but we'll get them in Game 7." I know it sounds crazy but even after that goal there just seemed to be this confidence about Messier that made me think they'd comeback. Tim Thomas had that exact same type of reaction for me after allowing the bad overtime goal from Burrows in Game 2 of the final. He lets the goal in and just simply skates away from his crease as if to say "That's on me boys, but we've got them right where we want them." I know that sounds crazy but it is just small stuff I pick up watching the games sometimes and I just remember thinking Boston was going to win the series even being down 2-0.

Anyway, back to Game 7 1991. That goal Tikkanen gets you can clearly see Vernon doesn't see it go in. It goes right past him and freezes him. Tik used Ric Nattress (?) as a perfect screen for the goal. Vernon isn't pleased and you can see him noticeably give Nattress a long look after the goal is scored. Just the start of Calgary's playoff troubles................

 

[The Panther]

Anyway, back to Game 7 1991. That goal Tikkanen gets you can clearly see Vernon doesn't see it go in. It goes right past him and freezes him. Tik used Ric Nattress (?) as a perfect screen for the goal. Vernon isn't pleased and you can see him noticeably give Nattress a long look after the goal is scored. Just the start of Calgary's playoff troubles................

Ha! The start of their troubles was actually the year prior when they lost 12-4 to the fourth-place Kings, presumably after a night on the town in L.A.

God, Tikkanen was a beast in '91. I love when he scores the first Oiler goal in game seven (they were down 3-0 at the time), and you can see by his body-language that he is firing up Messier and the whole bench, as in: "Here we go! Time for the comeback!"

 

[psycat]

Can't really recall to many individual games but one game between Ottawa and the Pens two years ago was really enteratining, the OT one.

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

The Smythe-Division Semi-Final, Game #7 between the Flames and the Canucks. It was absolutely ridiculous end to end hockey. As a Canuck fan the overtime was as nail-biting as I've ever felt (and that includes the Game #7 Cup final versus New York). And the end? Geezus.......Smyl stoned by Vernon alone. The Flames win it finally and then went on to win the Cup. But nothing topped that game and series for me. I knew I wouldn't see anything as exciting the rest of the playoffs.

Have a look at the overtime

Something thats always bothered me about that game, you know the big Vernon save on Smyl, the glove save on the breakaway? I think the announcer & color guy blame the defencemen on the ice (Macinnis and somebody else I cant see) for going for a bad line change after the fact, but if you look closely, the bench is on the near side of the ice relative to the camera, but both Dmen pinched to the far side. And if you look closely, whoever the left hand defenceman is pinches up waaaaay out of position above the blue line, and almost on the right hand side of the ice.

I can never figure out what the hell the left Dman was trying to do there, theres no need to pinch that aggressively when its sudden death overtime, the seasons on the line, and the Canucks defence is just chipping it forward in the neutral zone

Edit: I looked more closely at the vid, Im pretty sure Macinnis is the RHD on the ice, so his only mistake is not noticing what the hell his partner was doing and covering for him, but I cant make out the number of the guy that gets caught.

 

[Big Phil]

Something thats always bothered me about that game, you know the big Vernon save on Smyl, the glove save on the breakaway? I think the announcer & color guy blame the defencemen on the ice (Macinnis and somebody else I cant see) for going for a bad line change after the fact, but if you look closely, the bench is on the near side of the ice relative to the camera, but both Dmen pinched to the far side. And if you look closely, whoever the left hand defenceman is pinches up waaaaay out of position above the blue line, and almost on the right hand side of the ice.

I can never figure out what the hell the left Dman was trying to do there, theres no need to pinch that aggressively when its sudden death overtime, the seasons on the line, and the Canucks defence is just chipping it forward in the neutral zone

Edit: I looked more closely at the vid, Im pretty sure Macinnis is the RHD on the ice, so his only mistake is not noticing what the hell his partner was doing and covering for him, but I cant make out the number of the guy that gets caught.

Believe it or not, the defenseman on the left side of MacInnis who is badly out of position was none other than the late Brad McCrimmon. Very strange since this guy was excellent defensively his whole career. I don't know what he's doing there either, no reason to pinch like that. The only thing I can think of is that Smyl just sort of sneaks in there on the right side and he may have just turned his back for a second.

 

[vikash1987]

I agree with an earlier comment that it's tough to remove personal biases from this. Given that I'm a Devils-obsessed fan from New York, and given that this game fell on my 7th birthday (though I wasn't following hockey at the time), it's no surprise that Game 7 of the '94 Eastern Conf. Finals between the Rangers and Devils tops my list.

Context:
* a chance to play for the Cup
* cross-river rivals, and the league's top two teams
* the tremendous weight of the 54-year curse, hanging in the balance
* the media scrutiny following the theatrics of Messier's guarantee
* Richter vs. Brodeur
* Friday night in New York, with a prime time TV audience

The game itself lived up to its billing, and then some. The raw drama and tension in this game was unbelievable. The tying goal with 7.7 seconds left was unbelievable. The overtimes were unbelievable. Everything about this game...unbelievable. And, a whole generation later, folks in New York still talk about this game as if it were yesterday.

 

[The Panther]

I agree with an earlier comment that it's tough to remove personal biases from this. Given that I'm a Devils-obsessed fan from New York, and given that this game fell on my 7th birthday (though I wasn't following hockey at the time), it's no surprise that Game 7 of the '94 Eastern Conf. Finals between the Rangers and Devils tops my list.

Context:
* a chance to play for the Cup
* cross-river rivals, and the league's top two teams
* the tremendous weight of the 54-year curse, hanging in the balance
* the media scrutiny following the theatrics of Messier's guarantee
* Richter vs. Brodeur
* Friday night in New York, with a prime time TV audience

The game itself lived up to its billing, and then some. The raw drama and tension in this game was unbelievable. The tying goal with 7.7 seconds left was unbelievable. The overtimes were unbelievable. Everything about this game...unbelievable. And, a whole generation later, folks in New York still talk about this game as if it were yesterday.

It's still amazing to me that the Rangers recovered from the 3 games to 2 deficit and a 2-0 deficit in game six.

It's still amazing to me that the Devils tied that game seven with 8 seconds left, before an NYR grinder won it in overtime.

It's still amazing to me how close the Rangers came to blowing a 3 games to 1 lead in the Finals against Van.

In short, the Rangers won that Cup ugly, by the barest of margins.

Frightening to think that if they'd not gotten it done, we may now be looking at 79+ years since that franchise won a championship. It'd be the Cubs part two.

 

[scott clam]

Blues vs Wings game 7 1996 has gotta be the greatest game with almost no scoring ever.

 

[Big Phil]

Frightening to think that if they'd not gotten it done, we may now be looking at 79+ years since that franchise won a championship. It'd be the Cubs part two.

You are probably right. I don't think any team has ever gone "all in" for a season and so bluntly traded their youth away just to win the Cup. Amonte, Weight, gone. Gartner for Anderson...........okay, Gartner wasn't young anymore but he still had gas left in him after 1994 while Anderson didn't. If they do not win in 1994 they do not win at all. The Wings stepped up by then and the whole Wings/Avs era was taking over and I honestly don't think the Rangers ever win either since 1940 without 1994. At least as a Leaf fan I could say "See........look at them! 79 years!"

 

[blood gin]

We'll leave international games out of this because the 1987 Canada Cup among others will automatically get mentioned here. I am talking about what is the most purely greatest game of all-time from an entertainment/dramatic/important point of view? The games have to mean something, they have to be classics. There has to be a lot on the line.

So I am going to say Game 5 of the 1984 playoff series between the Isles and Rangers. Just a flat out entertaining game, it had everything and tons was on the line such as the Islanders' drive for 5. There was two rivals going at it, the crowd electric, a controversial tying goal that never would have flown with video replay and then the most exciting overtime I have ever seen in the NHL. Billy Smith's dramatic save on Bob Brooke just before the overtime goal. Bob Cole calling the game too just made it that much more special. Mike Bossy had the puck on a 3-on-1 in overtime and somehow shot and missed the net, when the heck did that ever happen again? Ken Morrow made sure that the Isles kept their streak going with the winning goal.

Just a great game and my pick for the greatest NHL game of all-time. I love Hanlon's reaction after the goal is scored. Just a reaction as if to say "Well, we made a run at them.................but it's the Isles"

I recall a great Hanlon glove save on Bourne in OT as well. That was a truly great game

 

[frisco]

Penguins-Islanders Game Five 1982 First Round. Islanders destroy Pittsburgh in one and two but somehow Pens bounceback to win two at home. On the Island, Pittsburgh takes 3-1 lead into third period but Tonelli ties it up with a couple minutes left and wins it in OT. Almost derailed the dynasty.

My Best-Carey