THIS DATE IN NHL HISTORY: April 26
1975: The New York Islanders become the second team in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to win a best-of-7 series after losing the first three games when they defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 in Game 7 of the Quarterfinals at the Civic Center.
The Penguins outplay the Islanders through the first two periods but can’t score. New York captain Ed Westfall scores the only goal of the game when he takes a pass from defenseman Bert Marshall and lifts a backhander that beats goaltender Gary Inness with 5:18 remaining in the third period. Goaltender Glenn Resch makes 30 saves for the first playoff shutout in Islanders history and the first by a rookie goaltender in a seventh game.
1983: Glenn Anderson scores four goals and Mark Messier scores three for the Edmonton Oilers in an 8-2 victory against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks in Game 2 of the Campbell Conference Final. It’s the third game in playoff history where two players on the same team score three or more goals. Anderson scores twice in the first and third periods; Messier scores two goals in the first before completing his hat trick at 15:09 of the third.
1988: The Boston Bruins defeat the Montreal Canadiens in a playoff series for the first time in 45 years. Steve Kasper and Cam Neely each score two goals in a 4-1 victory at the Forum as Boston wraps up the Adams Division Final in five games. It is the Bruins’ first playoff series win against the Canadiens since 1943, ending Montreal’s streak of 18 consecutive victories against Boston.
1993: For the second time in NHL history, players from opposing teams score three or more goals in the same playoff game. Washington Capitals defenseman Al Iafrate scores three goals in a 6-4 victory against the New York Islanders in Game 5 of the Patrick Division Semifinals in Landover, Maryland. All four New York goals are scored by center Ray Ferraro, the overtime hero in the previous two games of the series.
2010: Jaroslav Halak makes 53 saves for the Canadiens in a 4-1 victory against the Capitals at Bell Centre in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. It’s the most saves by a goaltender in a non-overtime playoff win in the League’s expansion era. Halak stops all 18 shots he faces in the first period and is perfect on 14 shots in the second. He stops 21 of 22 in the third period, allowing a goal by Eric Fehr with 4:50 to play.
2011: In his first Game 7 start since May 2000, Brian Boucher makes 26 saves in the Philadelphia Flyers’ 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres. The gap of 10 years and 11 months between Game 7 starts is the longest by any goaltender in NHL history. Boucher’s previous Game 7 appearance was the Flyers’ 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils in the 2000 Eastern Conference Final.
2012: The New York Rangers win Game 7 of a playoff series for the first time since the 1994 Stanley Cup Final. Goals by defensemen Dan Girardi and Marc Staal are enough to give New York a 2-1 win against the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden.
