1982: In a game forever known as the "Miracle on Manchester," the Los Angeles Kings pull off the greatest comeback in Stanley Cup Playoff history, rallying from a five-goal deficit in the third period to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 in overtime in Game 3 of the Smythe Division Semifinals.
The Oilers, in their third NHL season, finish first in the Western Conference and second in the overall standings. They set at NHL record by scoring 417 goals in 80 games and are huge favorites against the Kings, who barely qualify for the playoffs with a 24-41-15 record.
Los Angeles shocks the Oilers by winning Game 1 in Edmonton. But the Oilers regroup and win Game 2, then grab a 5-0 lead entering the third period of Game 3 at the Forum.
However, the Kings refuse to roll over.
Defenseman Jay Wells ends Grant Fuhr's shutout bid at 2:46, and Doug Smith makes it 5-2 at 5:58. The Kings get a glimmer of hope when Charlie Simmer scores at 14:38, and defenseman Mark Hardy cuts the margin to 5-4 at 15:59.
With the Kings swarming the Oilers and the Forum crowd behind them, Los Angeles scores the tying goal when Steve Bozak bangs a rebound past Fuhr with five seconds remaining.
The end comes 2:35 into overtime, when Smith wins a faceoff back to rookie Daryl Evans, whose slap shot beats Fuhr for perhaps the most amazing win in Stanley Cup history.
"It was just close your eyes and hope it hits the net," he tells the Los Angeles Times 30 years later. "It found a hole over Grant Fuhr's shoulder. The Kings lose Game 4 but stun the Oilers in the fifth and deciding game of the series in Edmonton.
MORE MOMENTS:
1934: The Chicago Blackhawks, in their eighth NHL season, win the Stanley Cup for the first time by defeating the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 in overtime of Game 4 of the Final. Charlie Gardiner gets the shutout and Mush March scores the Cup-winning goal during a power play at 30:05 of overtime. It is the final NHL game for Gardiner, who dies of a brain hemorrhage after the season.
1956: The Montreal Canadiens complete the first of their record run of five straight Stanley Cup championships by defeating Detroit 3-1 at the Forum in Game 5 of the Final. Jean Beliveau scores Montreal's first goal and assists on goals by Maurice Richard and Bernie Geoffrion. Jacques Plante makes 25 saves, allowing only a third-period goal by Alex Delvecchio. The Canadiens win the second of 10 consecutive playoff series; they do not lose another one until 1961.
1988: Brent Sutter scores the second shorthanded overtime goal in Stanley Cup history to give the New York Islanders a 5-4 victory against the New Jersey Devils in Game 4 of the Patrick Division at Meadowlands Arena. Sutter scores his second goal of the game at 15:07 of OT to even the series at 2-2, but the Devils rebound with victories in Games 5 and 6 to eliminate the Islanders and win a playoff series for the first time in franchise history.
1994: Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres becomes the first NHL goalie in 20 years to finish with a goals-against average of less than 2.00. He allows three goals in a 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in his final appearance of the regular season but ends with a 1.95 GAA to go along with a 30-20-6 record and seven shutouts. No goaltender had finished with a GAA below 2.00 since Bernie Parent of the Philadelphia Flyers (1.87) in 1973-74.
1996: The Red Wings defeat the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 at Joe Louis Arena for their 60th victory of the season, tying the NHL record set by Montreal in 1976-77. Five players score goals and Chris Osgood makes 12 saves. The Red Wings win their final two regular-season games to pass the Canadiens and finish with 62 victories, still the single-season record, but lose to the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
2003: Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Anaheim Ducks sets a Stanley Cup record for goaltenders making their playoff debut by making 63 saves. He holds off the defending Stanley Cup-champion Detroit Red Wings until Paul Kariya scores at 43:18 of overtime to give the Ducks a 2-1 victory at Joe Louis Arena in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Giguere makes 20 saves in the first overtime, becoming the first goaltender to face that many shots in an extra period since the 1967 expansion. The seventh-seeded Ducks sweep the Red Wings and get all the way to Game 7 of the Final before losing to the New Jersey Devils.
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