The most iconic playoff series of all-time

[daver]

In terms of hype, great teams, and the series itself, hard not to choose the Bruins/Habs '79 series despite it not being for the Cup.

They had met in the SCF the previous two seasons, the Habs were going for four in a row, the Bruins were hoping not to lose four SCFs in a row, and it had one of most iconic Game 7's of all-time.

Wings/Habs in 1955 may have been the greatest heavyweight battle of all-time with GOAT talent up the ying yang. Game 7 was a bit of a disappointment.

I imagine Leafs/Habs in '67 was pretty hyped. The battle of the dynasties at the time, and of all-time, and in the two homes of hockey.

Pens/Wings in 2009 was probably the best since the lockout. Big names, a rematch between a dynastic Wings team and a fast rising Pens team, and a last second save by Fleury to seal Game 7.

Before that, Wings/Avalanche in 2002.

I like the Oilers/Flyers in 1987.

A Leafs/Habs SCF in 1993, the 75th anniversary of the league would have been amazing. Damn you, Frasier!!

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[buffalowing88]

Just from my personal memory, so only going back to around 1992, I think that the Maple Leafs-Kings WCF in 1993 was one of the most memorable.

Detroit-Colorado in the late 90s or early 00s, take your pick.

Battle of Alberta in the 80s/91, again, take your pick.

Anaheim-Detroit in 07 was some of the best hockey I have ever seen.

But I would probably say the most "iconic" as a Millennial, was the 2011 Bruins-Canucks series. That was wild.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Detroit-Colorado in the late 90s or early 00s, take your pick.

As an Avalanche fan, I pick 1996.

Although 1999 was fun and weird.

 

[MadLuke]

Bruins-Habs of 1979 is one quick to come to mind, the game 7, Lafleur tying it on a too many men penalty, Don Cherry-Bowman, the last year before the WHA merger, it seem to be the one the most talked about over time.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Just from my personal memory, so only going back to around 1992, I think that the Maple Leafs-Kings WCF in 1993 was one of the most memorable.

Detroit-Colorado in the late 90s or early 00s, take your pick.

Battle of Alberta in the 80s/91, again, take your pick.

Anaheim-Detroit in 07 was some of the best hockey I have ever seen.

But I would probably say the most "iconic" as a Millennial, was the 2011 Bruins-Canucks series. That was wild.

was going to mention the 2011 series as well.

You couldn't ask for more out of a SCF. Crazy entertaining games, true hatred that grew through the series, non stop shot taking in the media and you got 7 games.

 

[Staniowski]

1st round - Boston vs Montreal '71.

Boston vs Montrwal '79

'84 Finals - Drive for 5

 

[buffalowing88]

was going to mention the 2011 series as well.

You couldn't ask for more out of a SCF. Crazy entertaining games, true hatred that grew through the series, non stop shot taking in the media and you got 7 games.

The personalities in that series were just above and beyond what you normally get. Throw in two die-hard hockey markets and everything you mentioned and it's hard to beat. I didn't miss a minute of that series and I had zero rooting interest.

 

[VanIslander]

Battle of Alberta in the 80s/91, again, take your pick.

Game 7 in 1991. It was most intense and close. I was in uni in Alberta (from B.C.) and on a Greyhound, i the only person on the bus with a Walkman cassette player (with radio). I was giving the entire bus play by play, they asking about players and where the puck was, the driver asking as much as the passengers, everyone invested in it. After every goal (it was a two-hour bus ride) there were cheers and groans. It was a unique life experience one never forgets.

Tikkanen's hat trick cemented my appreciation for him.

This vid shows more from that game that i ever SAW from news clips afterwards:

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Canucks - Flames, 1994.

 

[CutOnDime97]

Not the answer to your question but just want throw Flyers-Penguins in 2012 out there

 

[jigglysquishy]

Not the answer to your question but just want throw Flyers-Penguins in 2012 out there

The wildest playoff series I ever saw.

Three 10 goal games. Three 4+ goal blowouts. The big Giroux hit on Crosby. 45 goals in the first 4 games.

It wasn't pretty. Basically 1999 WWF on skates.

 

[buffalowing88]

Not the answer to your question but just want throw Flyers-Penguins in 2012 out there

I was at a bar in North Carolina with a bunch of college friends who had zero interest in hockey when that game came on the only TV at the bar. They didn't take their eyes off of Game 3 the rest of the night. It basically turned them into hockey fans. Incredibly fun series.

Canucks - Flames, 1994.

That's a great one. And the last two series for the Rangers that year were very entertaining and high-profile. They lived up to high expectations.

 

[Jaulie Poyce]

Oilers-Flames 1986.

Rangers-Devils 1994

 

[DitchMarner]

Oilers-Flames 1986.

Rangers-Devils 1994

Rangers and Canucks from '94 as well.

Wings/Avs '97

Pens/Caps '09

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

As an Avalanche fan, I pick 1996.

Although 1999 was fun and weird.

i’d say in 1996 there wasn’t enough at stake yet. did we really care about sakic or yzerman that much yet? or forsberg, lidstrom, fedorov, etc...

detroit fans would probably say 1997 or 2002, which ticked those “do we care yet” boxes. the lemieux hit, the ensuing melée, vernon vs roy (as opposed to osgood in 96)/hasek vs roy, the defending champs vs the now-reloaded powerhouse they had history with, but still it wasn’t the finals either time.

for me, it would be 2001. you get the reloaded powerhouse vs the defending champs, ray bourque of course, roy vs brodeur, crème de la crème HHOF captains sakic and stevens, and a host of significant players and units: a new big three (with larry robinson behind the other bench), the A line, bobby holik at the peak of his hype, niedermayer, mogilny, and the pushes from below of rafalski, madden, gomez, and white on the devils and hejduk, tanguay, and drury on the avs. plus the rare two best teams in the regular season facing off in the finals... it just felt like destiny.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

i’d say in 1996 there wasn’t enough at stake yet. did we really care about sakic or yzerman that much yet? or forsberg, lidstrom, fedorov, etc...

detroit fans would probably say 1997 or 2002, which ticked those “do we care yet” boxes. the lemieux hit, the ensuing melée, vernon vs roy (as opposed to osgood in 96)/hasek vs roy, the defending champs vs the now-reloaded powerhouse they had history with, but still it wasn’t the finals either time.

for me, it would be 2001. you get the reloaded powerhouse vs the defending champs, ray bourque of course, roy vs brodeur, crème de la crème HHOF captains sakic and stevens, and a host of significant players and units: a new big three (with larry robinson behind the other bench), the A line, bobby holik at the peak of his hype, niedermayer, mogilny, and the pushes from below of rafalski, madden, gomez, and white on the devils and hejduk, tanguay, and drury on the avs. plus the rare two best teams in the regular season facing off in the finals... it just felt like destiny.

I wasn't counting 2001 since it wasn't Avs-Wings - noted Red Wing killer Adam Deadmarsh was cleverly traded to the Los Angeles Kings, and he defeated them for us.

That Blues series kind of felt like cheating after a Kings series where Felix Potvin nearly stole it and Peter Forsberg left without a spleen. Devils series was legit, and I snuck into Game Seven. Then 9/11 happened over the offseason and it became much harder to sneak into shit.

 

[frisco]

2016 Penguins-Capitals
2017 Penguins-Capitals
2018 Penguins-Capitals

All classic 2nd round series with the winner going on to win the Cup in each case.

My Best-Carey

 

[buffalowing88]

2016 Penguins-Capitals
2017 Penguins-Capitals
2018 Penguins-Capitals

All classic 2nd round series with the winner going on to win the Cup in each case.

My Best-Carey

All good, but the 09 series was the best between that era of teams, imo.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

One that hasn't been mentioned here is the 13 final between the Blackhawks and Bruins. You had a final between 2 of the best teams in the league, with good personell all around and both could play the game any way. In my lifetime (born in 88) this was the best final I ever watched. From trading ot wins in the first 2 games, a dominant Boston performance in Game 3,a back and forth affair in Game 4 which the Hawks eeked out in ot, a dominant Hawks performance in Game 5 led by Patrick Kane, to the fireworks that ended Game 6. This series really had it all and was maybe the first time you saw the 2 best juke it out since 89, it also helped that it consisted of 2 teams in great markets and also happened to be O6 as well. Shame it didn't go 7.

 

[Davenport]

Imagine being a fan of the Canadiens in 1950-51, and they make it to the Final - against the Leafs. Every game of that series went to overtime - four won by Toronto, one by Montreal. Would have been as disappointing as it was nerve-wracking.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Not the answer to your question but just want throw Flyers-Penguins in 2012 out there

You call that a brawl?

 

[CutOnDime97]

You call that a brawl?

I didn't upload the video, so no I did not call it a brawl

 

[GMR]

As an Avalanche fan, I pick 1996.

Although 1999 was fun and weird.

How many people in Colorado cared in 1996? The team was a novelty in Denver being their inaugural season. The 2002 series probably had the most hype with the Hasek vs. Roy factor. Or 1997 because of the brawl several months prior.

 

[bleedgreen]

I’ll second LA vs TO in 93. Gretzky vs Gilmour.

 

[bleedgreen]

How many people in Colorado cared in 1996? The team was a novelty in Denver being their inaugural season. The 2002 series probably had the most hype with the Hasek vs. Roy factor. Or 1997 because of the brawl several months prior.

Well that’s certainly a take. Dismissing an entire fan base because you want to focus on when the Wings won…..

The Wings/Avs rivalry began with that first series!

Yeah…let’s just dismiss it because you don’t feel the Avs fan base was coming with right kind of motivation.