April 30: This Day in NHL Hockey History

THIS DATE IN NHL HISTORY: April 30

1972: Ken Hodge gets the only playoff hat trick of his career and Garnet “Ace” Bailey scores the winner with 2:16 remaining in the third period to give the Boston Bruins a 6-5 victory against the Rangers at Boston Garden in Game 1 of the Final. Hodge’s three goals help the Bruins build a 5-1 lead; Bailey’s shot beats Ed Giacomin for the win after the Rangers score four consecutive goals to tie the game 5-5. It’s the first time in 43 years that Boston and New York play in the Final.

1986: The Edmonton Oilers’ dreams of winning the Stanley Cup for a third straight year ends when defenseman Steve Smith accidentally scores into his own net at 5:14 of the third period and the Calgary Flames win 3-2 at Northlands Coliseum in Game 7 of the Smythe Division Final. Smith, playing on his 23rd birthday, tries to throw a cross-ice pass but inadvertently banks the puck off Oilers goaltender Grant Fuhr and into the net to break a 2-2 tie. The goal is credited to Calgary forward Perry Berezin, the player whose dump-in that Smith picks up behind the net. Edmonton won the Cup in 1984 and ’85, and would win it again in 1987 and ’88.

1994: San Jose, playing in its first Stanley Cup Playoff series, stuns the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings with a 3-2 victory at Joe Louis Arena in Game 7 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. The game is tied in the third period when Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood comes out of the net and tries to throw a backhand pass up the right side; Sharks forward Jamie Baker picks it off and shoots the puck into the net before Osgood can get back to his crease. Baker’s goal with 6:35 remaining helps the Sharks become the first team since the 1975 New York Islanders to advance to the second round in their playoff debut.

2014: The Los Angeles Kings highlight a historic night when they defeat the San Jose Sharks 5-1 in Game 7 of their Western Conference First Round series at SAP Center, becoming the fourth team in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup Playoff series after losing the first three games. Two members of the Kings, forwards Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, become the first players to do it twice, having played on the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, who overcame a 3-0 series deficit against the Boston Bruins. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick makes 39 saves and yields five goals in the four wins after allowing 16 in the three losses.