THIS DATE IN NHL HISTORY: April 19
1947: Ted Kennedy, a 21-year-old center, scores the Stanley Cup-winning goal to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 2-1 victory against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 of the Final at Maple Leaf Gardens. Kennedy breaks a 1-1 tie with 5:21 remaining in the third period. It’s the first of three consecutive Cup championships for the Maple Leafs, who become the NHL’s first modern dynasty.
1962: Two future Hockey Hall of Fame members, defenseman Tim Horton and center Stan Mikita, set Stanley Cup Playoff records in Toronto’s 8-4 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 of the Final at Maple Leaf Gardens. Horton, not known for his offense, assists on three of Toronto’s goals, giving him 15 points, a record for defensemen in one playoff year. Mikita sets up two second-period goals to break Gordie Howe’s single-season record with 21 points. His 15 assists are also a record for one playoff year.
1970: Phil Esposito gets the better of younger brother Tony Esposito in Game 1 of the Semifinals. Phil, the NHL leader in goals during the regular season, scored three goals to lead the visiting Boston Bruins to a 6-3 victory against the Blackhawks. Phil scores twice in the first period and completes his hat trick with a power-play goal at 14:59 of the second. The Bruins go on to sweep the Blackhawks, then do the same to the St. Louis Blues in the Final.
2004: Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore makes 32 saves for the first playoff shutout of his NHL career and Richard Zednik scores twice in the third period of a 2-0 victory against the Bruins at Fleet Center in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Theodore becomes the fourth goaltender in NHL history to have a Game 7 shutout on the road.
A few hours after the Canadiens advance, the Calgary Flames do the same when Martin Gelinas scores at 1:25 of overtime in a 3-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks at GM Place in Game 7 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. It’s the fastest Game 7 goal in Stanley Cup history and gives the Flames their first playoff series victory since 1989.
2011: The San Jose Sharks become the first team in 26 years to win a playoff game after trailing by four or more goals. The Los Angeles Kings lead 4-0 in the second period of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series before San Jose rallies to win 6-5 in overtime. Devin Setoguchi caps the comeback when he beats Jonathan Quick with a wrist shot 3:09 into overtime. Before San Jose does it, no team has overcome a four-goal deficit in a playoff game since the Minnesota North Stars rally to defeat the Blackhawks 5-4 on April 28, 1985.
2012: New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur adds another record to his collection.
Brodeur sets the Stanley Cup Playoff mark for career shutouts by making 26 saves in a 4-0 victory against the Florida Panthers at Prudential Center in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Brodeur’s 24th (and final) postseason shutout breaks a tie with Patrick Roy on the NHL’s all-time list.
Brodeur also contributes offensively; he is credited with an assist on a goal by Steve Bernier at 2:02 of the third period.
Afterward, Brodeur downplays the record.
“I’ve played a lot of games,” he said. “In the playoffs, there are a lot of tight games. Sometimes you need shutouts to win some of them. I have been fortunate to play on great teams that sacrificed themselves in order to get shutouts. I am a product of that.”
The milestone comes 10 years to the day after Brodeur becomes the second goaltender in NHL history to make 100 consecutive playoff starts for the same team.
