THIS DATE IN NHL HISTORY: May 16
1927: Jack Adams is named general manager and coach of the Detroit Cougars, replacing Duke Keats. Adams goes on to control the fortunes of the team, renamed the Falcons in 1930 and the Red Wings in 1932, for the next 35 years.
1971: Jean Beliveau has two assists, his final points in Stanley Cup Playoff competition, to help the Canadiens defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in Game 6 of the Final at the Forum. Beliveau assists on a first-period goal by Yvan Cournoyer and sets up Frank Mahovlich’s game-tying goal early in the third. Peter Mahovlich’s shorthanded goal at 8:55 of the third period puts the Canadiens ahead to stay and sends the series back to Chicago for Game 7.
1976: The Philadelphia Flyers’ aspirations of winning the Stanley Cup for a third consecutive year end when the Montreal Canadiens win 5-3 at the Spectrum to complete a sweep of the Final.
Guy Lafleur breaks a 3-3 tie at 14:18 of the third period and Frank Mahovlich beats Flyers goalie Wayne Stephenson less than a minute later for the Canadiens, who win their 19th championship and the first of four in a row.
Flyers forward Reggie Leach, who scores less than a minute into the game, is awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup Playoff MVP after he sets a postseason record with 19 goals. He’s still the only non-goaltender on the losing team to win the award.
1982: The New York Islanders become the first U.S.-based team to win the Stanley Cup three years in a row when they defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 at Pacific Coliseum to complete a four-game sweep in the Final. Mike Bossy scores a power-play goal five minutes into the second period and scores again three minutes later. He finishes the playoffs with 17 goals and wins the Conn Smythe Trophy. Billy Smith makes 23 saves for the Islanders, who allow one goal in winning the two games at Vancouver.
1985: Jari Kurri sets a Stanley Cup Playoff record with his third hat trick in the same postseason year, then scores a fourth goal to help the Edmonton Oilers clinch the Campbell Conference championship by defeating the Blackhawks 8-2 at Chicago Stadium in Game 6. Kurri scores the first goal of the game at 5:12 of the first period, gets two more in the second and completes the scoring with 1:43 remaining in the third. Wayne Gretzky assists on all four goals.
1996: Steve Yzerman scores at 1:15 of the second overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings a 1-0 victory against the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals at Joe Louis Arena. Goalies Jon Casey of the Blues and Chris Osgood of the Red Wings go save-for-save until Yzerman scores on a long slap shot to win the series.
2014: The Los Angeles Kings advance to the Western Conference Final for the third year in a row by defeating the Anaheim Ducks 6-2 in Game 7 of the second round at Honda Center. The Kings score three times in the first 10 minutes against rookie goaltender John Gibson and are never threatened. Six Kings score goals and goaltender Jonathan Quick makes 25 saves. The loss spoils the final NHL game of Ducks star Teemu Selanne, who receives a long ovation when he comes out for his final shift with 1:02 remaining in the third period.
