The initial round of this 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs got off to a memorable beginning with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets requiring five overtime sessions to see Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
The match lasted a whopping 150:27 but it did not even crack the top three in relation to longest matches in NHL history. Bearing that in mind we wanted to return in each match in NHL history which demanded quadruple or quintuple overtime in either the pre- and - post-expansion era.
Post-expansion age...
There were eight matches before 69 years which have demanded over three overtime periods. Here is what happened in these games and under that a glance in the longest games at the pre-expansion era.
Longest Match
The longest match in modern NHL history stays this conflict of attrition involving these Pennsylvania competitions. The match finished when Keith Primeau wired a shot beyond Penguins netminder Ron Tugnutt at 12:01 of the fifth overtime period.
Flyers defenceman Dan McGillis, who recorded an assist on Primeau's winner, logged 61:05 of ice time that was a record at the moment. Penguins forward Jaromir Jagr was on the ice for 59:08, which stays an NHL record for most ice time in one match from a forwards since the league started recording the stat.
Pittsburgh needed a 2-0 series lead but Philly won four consecutive matches to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
NHL Records were Broken
Many NHL records were broken from the 3-2 sonic success. Tampa fired a listing 88 shots on Joonas Korpisalo who afterwards made a list 85 saves. Blue Jackets defense man Seth Jones set a new NHL record with 65:06 of ice time until Brayden Point obtained the winner.
Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal was a marathon. Eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped 60 of 63 shots, even while Stars defencemen Sergei Zubov (63:51) and Derian Hatcher (62:02) both broke the record for most ice time in one match that McGillis place three decades prior. Zubov maintained that record until Seth Jones handed last night.
At the moment, this is the longest match in almost a decade.
Olaf Kolzig made 62 saves in a losing campaign.
Game 1 of the back-and-forth quarterfinal show required seven phases to ascertain a winner.
Story of The Game
The story of the game was Roberto Luongo who ceased 72 of the 76 shots he faced and arrived one rescue of tying the album at the moment. The 132 mixed shots from such groups was a record that stood before Tampa Bay and Columbus united for 151 shots.
Having a fifth overtime period looming, Henrik Sedin dropped one by Marty Turco after a wonderful pass by his twin brother, Daniel, for the 5-4 win.
1 year later Dallas dropped an epic showdown into the Canucks, they felled the Sharks 2-1 in quadruple OT.
Not merely did Brenden Morrow's target finish the match but it removed the Sharks and innovative the Stars into the Western Conference Final. Sharks defenceman Brian Campbell logged 56:23 of ice time, which now stands as the 10th-most to get one match in league history.
This game is called "The Easter Epic" and it is remembered for Kelly Hrudey's then-record 72-save functionality and Pat LaFontaine's winning goal which led to Bob Cole's memorable "LaFontaine in the blue line" call. It's the greatest Game 7 in NHL history.
Hrudey reflected on this match and remarked on his album broken after 33 years by Korpisalo.
It is among those all-time amazing goaltending performances which does not get much attention.
Dominik Hasek had a 70-save shutout to assist his Sabres beat the Devils in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal match-up. It is the most conserves made by a goalie in a shutout win in NHL history.
Dave Hannan was founded by Jason Dawe and Wayne Presley at 5:43 of the fourth OT. Hasek won his first Vezina Trophy that season and proceeded to win the award in five of their following seven seasons.
Pre-expansion Age
Before this NHL growing in 1967, there were six events on that three overtime periods was not enough.
The longest game in NHL history stays this 1936 doozy that saw a total of one goal scored in 176:30 of game play. Rookie forward Modere "Mud" Bruneteau notched the winner along with the Red Wings went on to sweep the string prior to beating the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Final for the franchise's first championship.
The second-longest match in NHL history was likewise a 1-0 competition. This one continued 164:46. Toronto ahead Ken Doraty scored the only goal in the deciding match of this best-of-five series. After beating the Bruins, the Maple Leafs were defeated with the Rangers from the Stanley Cup Final.
Jack McLean scored the winning goal just beyond the mid-way stage of the fourth overtime period to tie this semifinal series 1-1. Toronto ended up dropping the series in six matches and Detroit went on to sweep the Bruins and win the Stanley Cup.
Gus Rivers just scored six total goals in his NHL career for the Canadiens and you was in the 8:52 mark of the fourth overtime in Game 1 of the best-of-three series. Montreal rode that momentum, beat the Rangers and the Bruins en route to winning the franchise's fourth tournament.
Maurice"Rocket" Richard overcome Calder Trophy-winning netminder Terry Sawchuk to provide the Habs a 3-2 win in Game 1 of the semifinal series.
Game two went to some third OT with Montreal winning that match too. They won the show but lost to the Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Final.
Lorne Carr raised the Americans beyond their New York competition in spectacular fashion to acquire this best-of-three series 40 minutes to the fourth OT.
