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The Five Greatest Games Sevens in Stanley Cup Finals
Published by JM Van Horn on June 11, 2009
When the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins meet on Friday, will this be one of the greatest game sevens in the Stanley Cup Finals?
This one and done game will bring conclusion to a series that has been filled with hard fought goals and missed opportunities. Based on their performance in the series, it appears both the Red Wings and Penguins will bring their A game to the ice.
Since 1938, there have been 14 game sevens played in the Stanley Cup Finals, while some of the games have lived up to the hype, some have fizzled out.
The most recent game seven took place in 2005 with the Carolina Hurricanes winning in seven. Here are the five greatest game sevens in Stanley Cup finals that that stand out from the pack and have earned a spot in the heart of hockey fans.
5. 2001 – Colorado Avalanche vs. New Jersey Devils
The top seeded teams from both conferences met in the Stanley Cup Finals in a battle that featured two of the premier goalies in the game, Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur. Back and forth the teams went, each one taking turns winning a game until the Avalanche forced a game seven by blanking the Devils in game 6.
The final game of this series did not disappoint as the team s battled through the game until the Avalanche took over in the third to secure a championship. In addition to earning the right to carry the Stanley Cup, Roy won a NHL record, third Conn Smythe Trophy.
4. 1971 – Montreal Canadians vs. Chicago Blackhawks
The series appeared to be coming to a close after the Blackhawks earned a three to two series lead. After the Canadians were able to secure a victory on home ice, they were faced with the task of winning the series on the road. Down 2-0 early, the Canadians fought back and eventually won the game when Henri Richards scored the winning goal with less than three minutes left in the game.
Ken Dryden began his Hall of Fame career entering the lineup of the Canadians mid-season and winning the Conn Smythe trophy for his performance in the finals. This Stanley Cup victory for the Canadians was the first of six the team would earn in the 1970′s. It would be another 16 years after this series before the Stanley Cup Finals would reach seven games.
3. 2004 – Tampa Bay Lighting vs. Calgary Flames
In 2004, the Flames became the first Canadian team to reach the Stanley Cup Finals since 1994 as the faced the upstart Lighting, who were only in their 12th year of existence. The teams traded wins during the first six games of the series, with the Lighting evening the series in game 6 when they won in double overtime. In game seven, the Lighting took an early two goal advantage and held off the Flames as they secured a 2-1 win and the right to lift the Stanley Cup.
2. 1994 – New York Rangers vs. Vancouver Canucks
This series featured a Cinderella Canucks team, who entered the playoffs as the No. 7 seed versus the Rangers, whose captain, Mark Messier, was attempting to win another championship. By the time the game four was over, Rangers founds themselves up three games to one and in the driver seat. In a blink of an eye, the Canucks easily won the next two and forced a game seven at Madison Square Garden.
Messier secured the win for the Rangers when he scored the winning goal in the final game. The victory by the Rangers ended their 54-year championship drought and further cemented Mark Messier’s place in the history of the Stanley Cup Finals and the heart of the Rangers faithful.
1. 1950 – Detroit Red Wings vs. New York Rangers
When this Stanley Cup Finals began, both the Red Wings and Rangers were starved for a championship and did not want to be denied. The series opened up with the home team winning each of their first game before Detroit was able to win on the road. By the time the series shifted back to Detroit, Red Wings fans were in shock when the Rangers took the next two games with overtime victories and earned a three to two series lead.
Eventually Detroit would even up the series and set the stage for an amazing game seven. The game went into double overtime, until the game winning goal was scored by Detroit’s Pete Babando. This is still the longest game seven played in the history of the Stanley Cup Finals.
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Tagged with: Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Game Seven, JM Van Horn, Mark Messier, Montreal Canadians, New York Rangers, NHL, NHL Playoffs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Stanley Cup, Stanley Cup Finals, Tampa Bay Lighting
Around the Lot Links for Thursday June 11 | UsTailgate on Thu, 11th Jun 2009 18:37
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