In ice hockey, the Stanley Cup Finals (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media)[1] is the championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL) to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup. The series is played in a best of seven format, meaning that a team must win four games in order to win the series and the Cup. Games that are tied at the end of regulation time go to overtime. In the history of the NHL, there have been 17 series which have ended on a game-winning goal in overtime.
The first overtime Cup winning goal was scored by Bill Cook of the New York Rangers in game four of the final against goaltender Lorne Chabot and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mush March of the Chicago Black Hawks repeated the feat in against Wilf Cude and the Detroit Red Wings, also in game four. The 1933 and 1934 series were played in a best of five format; the current best of seven format was adopted beginning in .
Pete Babando in and Tony Leswick in, both with the Red Wings, scored the only game seven Cup winning goals. Babando scored against Chuck Rayner and the Rangers while Leswick scored against Gerry McNeil and the Montreal Canadiens. The goal in 1954 was the second overtime Cup winner allowed by McNeil, the only goaltender to have allowed more than one, the first having been scored in by Bill Barilko of the Maple Leafs.
Twice in Stanley Cup history has a team won the Cup on an overtime series winner one season, and then lost the same way the next season. The Canadiens won the series in overtime, only to lose it the following year to Detroit. The Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup vs the Buffalo Sabres, only to lose it the following year to the New Jersey Devils.
| Name | Team | Year | Game No. | Time | Opposing goalie | Opposing team | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Rangers | 4 | 07:33 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1–0 | ||||
| Chicago Blackhawks | 4 | 30:05 | Detroit Red Wings | 1–0 | ||||
| New York Rangers | 6 | 02:07 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3–2 | ||||
| Montreal Canadiens | 4 | 09:12 | Chicago Black Hawks | 5–4 | ||||
| Detroit Red Wings | 7 | 28:31 | New York Rangers | 4–3 | ||||
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 5 | 02:53 | Montreal Canadiens | 3–2 | ||||
| Montreal Canadiens | 5 | 01:22 | Boston Bruins | 1–0 | ||||
| Detroit Red Wings | 7 | 04:29 | Montreal Canadiens | 2–1 | ||||
| Montreal Canadiens | 6 | 02:20 | Detroit Red Wings | 3–2 | ||||
| Boston Bruins | 4 | 00:40 | St. Louis Blues | 4–3 | ||||
| Montreal Canadiens | 4 | 04:32 | Boston Bruins | 2–1 | ||||
| New York Islanders | 6 | 07:11 | Philadelphia Flyers | 5–4 | ||||
| Colorado Avalanche | 4 | 44:31 | Florida Panthers | 1–0 | ||||
| Dallas Stars | 6 | 54:51 | Buffalo Sabres | 2–1 | ||||
| New Jersey Devils | 6 | 28:20 | Dallas Stars | 2–1 | ||||
| Chicago Blackhawks | 6 | 04:06 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4–3 | ||||
| Los Angeles Kings | 5 | 34:43 | New York Rangers | 3–2 |