THIS DATE IN NHL HISTORY: April 24
1969: Jean Beliveau scores the only overtime goal of his Hall of Fame career when he beats Gerry Cheevers at 31:28 to give the Montreal Canadiens a 2-1 series-clinching victory against the Bruins in Game 6 of the Semifinals at Boston Garden. Beliveau sets up the tying goal by Serge Savard 1:10 into the third period, then ends the series when he scores midway through the second overtime. Rogie Vachon makes 50 saves, allowing a goal to Ron Murphy 2:29 into the game. It’s the 10th consecutive series victory for the Canadiens against the Bruins, dating to 1946.
1983: Brad Park carries the Bruins into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs when his goal at 1:52 of overtime in Game 7 gives Boston a 3-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres in the Adams Division Final at Boston Garden. He ties the game 2-2 with a power-play goal midway through the second period before beating Bob Sauve for the win. He becomes the first player in NHL history to score the final goal in regulation and get the overtime goal in a seventh game. Park also becomes the first NHL defenseman to score two goals in a Game 7, and he scores the 1,000th playoff goal in Bruins’ history.
1989: Wayne Gretzky becomes the all-time leading goal scorer in Stanley Cup competition when he scores 11:20 into the first period of the Los Angeles Kings’ 5-3 home loss against the Calgary Flames, who complete a four-game sweep in the Smythe Division Final. The goal is Gretzky’s 86th, one more than Mike Bossy scored during 10 seasons with the New York Islanders. Gretzky is the leader with 122 career playoff goals, 13 more than Mark Messier.
1993: Ray Ferraro scores in overtime for the second straight game to give the New York Islanders a 4-3 victory against the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of the Patrick Division Semifinals at Nassau Coliseum. Two nights after Ferraro’s goal 4:46 into overtime caps New York’s comeback from a 3-1 third-period deficit, he scores at 25:40 of OT to complete a rally after the Islanders allow the game’s first three goals. Ferraro gives the Islanders a 3-1 series lead, with all three victories coming in overtime.
1996: In one of the wildest games in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Petr Nedved scores his second goal of the game at 19:15 of the fourth overtime to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 victory against the Washington Capitals at the Capital Centre in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
The Penguins lose starting goaltender Tom Barrasso after the first period with back spasms and trail 2-0, but come back on goals by Jaromir Jagr and Nedved. The Penguins also survive a game misconduct to Mario Lemieux late in the second period and a penalty shot by Washington Joe Juneau at 15:44 of the second overtime – Ken Wregget stops the first overtime penalty shot in Stanley Cup history.
Nedved ends the game and evens the series when he beats Olaf Kolzig with a slap shot from the left circle during the sixth power play awarded after regulation.
1997: Patrick Roy passes Billy Smith as the winningest goaltender in Stanley Cup history when he makes 25 saves in the Colorado Avalanche’s 7-0 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals at Pepsi Center. It’s his 89th playoff victory, one more than Smith. It’s also the 10th playoff shutout of Roy’s career. Valeri Kamensky fuels the offense and ties a playoff record by scoring three power-play goals.
2006: Joe Sakic breaks Maurice Richard‘s record for overtime goals in the playoffs by scoring the seventh of his career, giving the Avalanche a 5-4 victory against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in Game 2 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series. Sakic beats goaltender Marty Turco at 4:36 of overtime for the record. Sakic finishes his career with eight OT goals; he’s still the only player to top Richard’s total, set from 1945-58.
