What is the greatest NHL game of all-time?

[Big Phil]

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"

 

[Marotte Marauder]

1987 4 OT Easter Epic

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

I loved the tension of game 7 of the 87 Final between the Oilers and Flyers. Every second of that game, every move, was a nailbiter.

 

[The Panther]

I loved the tension of game 7 of the 87 Final between the Oilers and Flyers. Every second of that game, every move, was a nailbiter.

I was thinking of that one, too.

I really think the "peak NHL" for entertainment was from the 1986 playoffs to the 1994 playoffs. And only 1987 and 1994 went to seven games in the Finals. 1987 was the better game, I think, and had so many great players goin' at it. The only thing that might temper that game is that the Oilers started to take over in the 2nd and then dominated Philly in the 3rd, so although it was a very close game it did become one-sided by the end. The Anderson goal late in the third was a catharsis for the fans, as it finally clinched the Cup and wiped the memory of the bizarre '86 loss.

How about Toronto/Detroit, game seven, 1993?

 

[Jester9881]

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"

For a guy not known for his goal scoring, Ken Morrow scored some huge goals for those Islanders....

 

[nnynetpotato]

Too many men.
you know the one I mean.

 

[spiny norman]

Too many men.
you know the one I mean.

I was thinking of that one, too.

 

[GMR]

Regular season it would be Red Wings vs. Avs, "Fight Night at the Joe." Playoffs, it would be the long OT games in the 1999 and 2000 Finals. Watching Hall of Game goalies in those Finals was special. You didn't think they'd ever give up a goal in those overtimes.

I can't judge any games I didn't watch. Games, unlike highlights, are not as widely available on Youtube.

 

[Jim MacDonald]

I might have a "sleeper" one maybe guys.....and maybe it gets a bit "underloved" because of Messier's game 6 guarantee of winning, but I bought the Game 7 of the 94 ECF on a DVD from a website called hdhockey.tv (I don't know if they are still around). That was really a well-played, defensive game....Zelepukin's tying goal right at the end to send it to overtime, Leetch had an incredible effort earlier to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead, and then of course Matteau...

I love of course Yzerman's Game 7 slapper to sink the Blues in 96 but didn't want to get "eye rolls" lol

 

[GMR]

I might have a "sleeper" one maybe guys.....and maybe it gets a bit "underloved" because of Messier's game 6 guarantee of winning, but I bought the Game 7 of the 94 ECF on a DVD from a website called hdhockey.tv (I don't know if they are still around). That was really a well-played, defensive game....Zelepukin's tying goal right at the end to send it to overtime, Leetch had an incredible effort earlier to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead, and then of course Matteau...

I love of course Yzerman's Game 7 slapper to sink the Blues in 96 but didn't want to get "eye rolls" lol

Hey, I thought of both of those games actually. Nothing wrong with either. Game 7's are naturally going to be more exciting than other games because of the stakes involved. I don't remember the Rangers/Devils one very well, but Detroit/St. Louis was an amazing game even if there was only one goal. Lots of chances and end to end action.

 

[Ofuzz]

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

 

[The Panther]

Good call by Ofuzz, above. That was indeed a classic.

 

[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

 

[MadLuke]

Maybe one among those Oilers vs Dallas playoff duel, they were awesome.

 

[HawkNut]

That's tough to choose.

There's Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 6 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals and Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals.

 

[Big Phil]

How about Toronto/Detroit, game seven, 1993?

As a Leaf fan I love that one of course. It probably is "homerish" to put it #1 but no doubt it had everthing you needed in a game. Tension, two rivals going at it, a late tying goal to force overtime, Bob Cole calling the game.............

Generally the 1st round games aren't up as high because there is a little less at stake than the Cup final or the semis, but if I were to think of classic Game 7s in the first round it is this one and Calgary/Vancouvers 1989 and 1994 ones.

 

[Danny46]

Any 3 games of the final between URSS-Canada in the 1987 Canada Cup, we had three close games with 1 goal difference, and amazing players on the ice, the only thing bad in that series was the biased refs.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Two games immediately jumped to mind, nice to see they were already mentioned...1989 Smythe Division Semifinal Game 7 and 2008 Stanley Cup Final game 5. Those games had just about everything you could want...

 

[dr robbie]

I find it incredibly hard to remove biases from things like these because there is so much more emotion invested when you're a fan of one or both of those teams. That said, and recognizing the homer aspect:

Blues v. Flames in 86. Game 6 - Monday Night miracle. What a comeback. Great underdog story/game. Though, obviously, they lost the following game.

Blues v. Wings in 96. Game 7 2OT. Yeah, Blues were on the losing side, but that was just an emotion-filled game. Blues had a stacked team (Gretzky, Hull, MacInnis, Pronger, Fuhr/Casey) and finally looked like a contending team. The Blues were huge rivals of the Red Wings back then. To get knocked out by them again, when they were doing so freaking well, just sucked.

Pens v. Wings in 09. Game 7. Rematch from the previous year. The whole Hossa-trader thing. 1 goal game and the diving save at the end. Super biased, but that was probably the most excited I've ever been for a game from start to finish.

Other games were also pretty great in their own right or had great aspects within them (Dueling hattricks, Lemieux destroying Casey et al.'s spirit/series, The Save) but those are probably the 3 games I remember from start to finish being on the edge of my seat the whole time.

 

[VMBM]

Mind you, I haven't seen that many, but here are some:

Too Many Men On Ice
1984 SC finals, game 1, The Oilers vs the Islanders 1-0 (yeah, there was only 1 goal, but kudos to the goalies)
1990 SC finals, game 1, the Oilers vs the Bruins 3-2 OT (too bad that after such an epic game, Klima's GWG was a bit anti-climatic = weak)

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.

 

[The don godfather]

Islanders rangers 1984 ken morrow overtime goal. Simply the best game ever.

 

[rfournier103]

Too many men.
you know the one I mean.

I was thinking of that one, too.

If I take my Bruins glasses off for a second, that Game 7 gets my vote as best game of all time, as well as that series being the best series of all time.

I wish it weren’t so, but as a hockey fan, I can’t in good conscience answer any differently.

Fitting that a Bruins-Canadiens playoff game should be the best ever.

 

[Danny46]

Pens v. Wings in 09. Game 7. Rematch from the previous year. The whole Hossa-trader thing. 1 goal game and the diving save at the end. Super biased, but that was probably the most excited I've ever been for a game from start to finish.

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.

 

[Terrier]

1987 4 OT Easter Epic

That's the game that comes to mind for me as well. When you combine the circumstances, the firewagon hockey in those days, the chances on both sides to end it, that one is definitely up there. A far cry from watching Dallas and Anaheim slog through five overtimes, to the point that some writers declared "no mas" to such marathons. Who can forget Bob Mason slumping to one knee after Lafontaine ended it(1:05 of the clip below)?





The 1984 classic between the Rangers and Isles is a close second, IMO.




The 1990 Game 1 of the SCF, which I attended, should also be up there.

 

[Doctor No]

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