We got a little sentimental this week as we told you about the first NHL game we attended 23 years ago. And we felt the hockey love as you fellow puckheads shared your most memorable games with us. They were all worth mentioning, but obviously we can't do that. Here's a sampling:
WB Philp: Hey Pierre! Another great QOTW! The game that I remember most was a double-overtime playoff nail-biter: Game 7 of the 1995-96 conference semifinals, Detroit Red Wings versus St. Louis Blues, Thursday night, May 16, 1996 at Joe Louis Arena. I sat in Section 217B, Row 10, Seat 19. (I still have the ticket!) My Red Wings were an amazing 62-13-7 that season. The Gretzky-led Blues had battled the Wings to a Game 7. The rosters were filled with talent beyond belief. They included Hall of Fame members and possible future members Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Al MacInnis, Glenn Anderson, Steve Yzerman, Paul Coffey, Igor Larionov, Dino Ciccarelli, Slava Fetisov, Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov. Other marquee players were Chris Pronger, Peter Zezel, Stephane Matteau, Esa Tikkanen, Craig MacTavish, Charlie Huddy, Keith Primeau, Chris Osgood and Bob Errey. The backup goalies were Grant Fuhr and Mike Vernon!
The legendary Scotty Bowman and Mike Keenan coached the teams. I remember the game being very physical and the players being sluggish and tired in the third period. Gretzky and Yzerman must have skated 40 minutes each. The game went to a second overtime thanks to a tremendous save by Chris Osgood in the first overtime on a shot by Shayne Corson. I remember very early in the second overtime the puck was turned over by none other than Wayne Gretzky, and Stevie Y stickhandled just across the right blue line and let go a slap shot that beat Jon Casey high over his blocker. After that, I remember saying to my friend, through tears of joy, "We have just seen NHL history!"
DTobis: It was double overtime in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals in 1996, Steve Yzerman rips a slap shot from the blue line into the upper corner of the net to eliminate the St. Louis Blues and send the Detroit Red Wings into the next round of the playoffs. I can still see Yzerman jumping on the ice after it went in. It's tough to top a double overtime in Game 7.
My take: Actually, we just phoned up Mr. Yzerman and let him handle this one.
"It was a rolling puck I picked up in the neutral zone," Yzerman told ESPN.com on Tuesday. "I think that was the second overtime, and I remember thinking in the first overtime, 'I'm just going to start shooting the puck from wherever. I'm tired, and they're not calling penalties.'
"The defensemen were just wrapping us up. I wasn't getting a whole lot done, so I decided to start shooting all the time. So I picked the puck up in the neutral zone, I think Murray Baron was the defenseman, and I thought, 'Just shoot it and try to get it past his feet and not hit him.' Sure enough, I found a clear path, and it found the top corner. It was kind of a lucky shot because I was just trying not to get it blocked. That was my only playoff overtime goal."
Bob1Roberts: April 11, 1981, Northlands Coliseum. The doors opened at 6 p.m., and it took 25 minutes to get from the top of the steps at the outer edge of the plaza in front of the main entrance to Northlands to the door, a trip that usually would take about 90 seconds. No one had tickets to sell.
The only word to describe the atmosphere OUTSIDE the arena was "electric." Inside, it was just plain nuts. Everyone knew the mighty first-place-finishing Canadiens were going to fall in three straight games to the just-squeaked-in 16th-place Oilers -- and they were going to bow out having lost two straight at home in the Montreal Forum. Our seats (not that we sat in them much that night) were in the 12th row, about even with the faceoff dots to the right of the visiting goalie in the first and third periods. I was lucky to see a lot of the big Oilers games of the '80s in person, but none stuck in my mind like that game.
It sounds funny to say it, but when 99 stole the puck from Napier and swept in to score the big SHG (right in front of us -- thanks 99!), it really did feel as if the roof was going to lift off that place. The sound level was so loud when that puck crossed the line, it made my ears ring. We found out later that each of us was screaming "Gretzky!" at each other at the top of our lungs, but neither of us had any idea what the other was saying.
The same huge crowd that was outside the main gate well before the game was there long into the night after it. What a game.
My take: What an upset indeed; the young bucks, led by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, upsetting Guy Lafleur and Larry Robinson and the Habs. It was the dawn of a new era, as the Oilers changed the way the game was played and electrified us with some of the best hockey ever played.
kossow21: Two words: "May Day!" April 24, 1993 -- Game 4 of the Adams Division semifinals between the Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins at the hallowed Memorial Auditorium. I was 10 years old and nearly passed up the game because my father had to leave town on business. Fortunately, my uncle jumped in on the second ticket, allowing me to witness an unbelievable come-from-behind overtime (series-clinching) victory for the Sabres when Brad May (yes, Brad May) took Ray Bourque to town, leading to one of the greatest sportscasting calls of our generation.
My take: One of the best play-by-play calls ever.
"I've been asked a million times, 'Did you plan it?'" legendary Sabres play-by-play voice Rick Jeanneret told me Tuesday. "I always say, 'Are you kidding me? I would have planned someone else for overtime, but not Brad.' He hadn't scored in 20 games or something like that. So that just came to me at the time. I've certainly gotten a lot of mileage out of it."
HoekSAM: April 11, 1989, my first time ever seeing a playoff game in person, between the Capitals and Flyers. Flyers ended up winning it 8-5, but what made it memorable is that Ron Hextall scored the final goal of the game. I remember asking my parents before the game how cool it would be if Hextall were to score another one. How little did I know I'd actually see him do it only a few hours later. I still have the ticket stub from the game, too.
My take: I turned 17 years old that night, and I remember (kind of) being at a party and watching Hextall score that goal. Woke up the next day with a massive headache, wondering whether it really had happened. Later in that playoff year, Hextall made headlines again, but for the wrong reasons, when he attacked Montreal's Chris Chelios. Scary thing is, that was already 20 years ago. Time flies!
serialthrila13: It wasn't my first game, and it certainly won't be my last, but I'd have to say the Pens versus Habs game on Nov. 10, 2005. Mario Lemieux was still playing and teaching Sidney Crosby all he could. This is before anyone knew or even could have guess how the season would go down, especially with Mario's sudden, final retirement just two months later.
The game itself was all I could have asked for, though. Both Mario and Sidney scored in regulation on pretty goals in their own right. The Canadiens would come back to tie it up, which would seem to ruin any other night, but with the new, MUCH improved rules of the game allowing for a more enjoyable product, it was all part of the process. The shootout may not be the best way to settle things, but it beats a tie where two teams fight so hard to get nothing. Instead of going home right then and there, the fans in Pittsburgh that night got to see what was to come as Crosby faked Jose Theodore out of his skates to bury the puck in the top of the net, which sent the water bottle FLYING. Awesome moment in Sid's rookie campaign.
My take: For Crosby, this meant a lot as well because he was such a huge Habs fan growing up, and scoring the shootout winner was a big thrill for him.
N**Bags 20: Game 4 (sort of) of the 1988 Cup finals ... Edmonton at Boston in the old Garden. The game was stopped countless times because of all of the fog that built up on the ice. The lights went out after Craig Simpson, I believe, tied the game at 3. All of us were getting escorted out of the building. Rumors were going around that the game would be resumed the next afternoon, but then the final decision was to tack it on at the end of the series. Being 13 years old, I just knew I was going to get to see Game 7 yeah, right. The series ended in a 4½ game sweep.
My take: I've spoken to a few media colleagues who covered that game, and they always talk about the rats walking over their feet when the lights went out. Gross.
Goal_Digger: I went to the 1980 NHL All-Star Game at Joe Louis Arena and watched Gordie Howe (then a Hartford Whaler) receive a 10-plus-minute standing ovation when he was introduced. My entire squirt team went to the game, actually, and I remember some of the dads (including mine) were crying during the ovation, and I remember that sending chills up my spine. A few months ago, I watched footage of that moment on the NHL Network, and I'll admit it made me tear up a little.
My take: That gives me goose bumps. I also remember that game. There's a young Mr. Gretzky who was pretty darn excited to be on the same ice as his hero, Gordie Howe.
deskjockey007: I'm an old fa*t whose parents had four season tickets to the Leafs, so all of my early memories are at the Gardens. Too many games to remember:
1) Darryl Sittler's 10-point night.
2) Leafs win Game 6 3-1 over Montreal and win Cup. I didn't think it was that big a deal at the time, as it was the fourth time in six years they'd won the Cup.
3) Leafs beat California 11-0. I got the goalie sticks from both Ron Low and Marv Edwards. I still have Edwards' stick. Don't know where Low's went.
4) Brian "Spinner" Spencer gets a hat trick against Pittsburgh weeks after his dad was shot and killed.
5) Sitting in the seventh row at the Bell Centre after a day of drinking and having the Leafs come through and beat Montreal 5-2. Joining the impromptu parade (in a blizzard) of about 10,000 Leafs fans down Ste. Catherine Street after the game.
My take: Four decades of Leafs memories. But, of course, none of them involving a Cup parade.
bklyn243: 1983-84 division semifinal Game 5 between the N.Y. Islanders and the N.Y. Rangers at the Nassau Coliseum. My dad had two tickets, so my mother put both names in a hat, and mine was picked. The Isles were beginning their 'Drive for Five' campaign, and the Rangers were giving them all they could handle through the first four games. Game 5 was a classic. Don Maloney scored a goal with the third period winding down on what may or may not have been a high stick sending the game into overtime.
The Rangers had all the momentum, but the Isles were saved by Ken Morrow, the unlikely overtime scoring hero. The Coliseum went nuts, and the Rangers skated off with thoughts of what might have been. But the story doesn't end there. As my dad and I were walking out to the rotunda, we saw a few of the Rangers who hadn't dressed for the game quietly leaving one of the suites. An observant Islanders fan noticed this and said loudly, "Hey look, they've got their golf clothes on," which prompted two of the Rangers (Blaine Stoughton and Steve Richmond) to approach the fan and ask him, "What did you say?" The fan cowered and slunked away.
The Islanders went on to the finals that year and lost to the Oilers, and my dad (a lifelong Rangers fan) trudged through another offseason of "Wait 'til next year." Although my dad finally got his wish in '94 as the Rangers finally won the Cup after 54 years, and he and I were at Game 7 to see it live, I still can't get the image of Stoughton and Richmond from '84 out of my head.
My take: I remember watching that game on TV. It must have been sensational to see live. You could feel the tension through the TV screen. The Rangers always were handed their dinner by the Islanders in that decade. I know a few Rangers fans whose hate for the Islanders grew very much during those years.
onlyislesfanleft: 1993 Patrick Division final -- Game 6 -- Islanders versus Penguins at Nassau Coliseum. The Penguins had just won back-to-back Stanley Cups, and everyone in the hockey world thought they were well on their way to a third. With names like Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Ron Francis, who would think otherwise? But being an Islanders fan, I felt someone had to stop them from becoming a dynasty. And who better to do that than the Isles?
Pittsburgh was up 3-2 in the series and looking to close the deal. From start to finish, this game was a bitter battle. Every time the Penguins would score, the Isles would come right back, and the old barn would rock with excitement. It's amazing how alive the Coliseum can get come playoff time. But the part of the game I'll always remember: Mario Lemieux getting caught in the offensive zone after the Isles had cleared. Behind the play, Darius Kasparaitis showed Lemieux a seat. Once he got him down, he kept him down with a shove or two. And the crowd roared. From that tiny play, I really began to believe the Isles could beat this team. And from the sound of the crowd, it seems they felt the same way. The Isles went on to win that game 7-5 and the series 4-3, preserving their status (at least for now) as the last true hockey dynasty.
My take: David Volek knocked out the Pens in that series with the overtime winner. No one was happier than Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens, who avoided the mighty Pens in the conference finals, then beat the Isles in five games before winning the Cup over Los Angeles.
Dietkirk: Rangers-Sharks, February 2008 at Madison Square Garden. It will remain a treasured memory, as being English and living thousands of miles away from any NHL buildings, getting the chance to sit in one of the most famous buildings of them all and seeing my first NHL game at 28 years old is something that I will always remember. I had dreamed about seeing an NHL game since I was young, somewhat unusual for a kid who accidentally introduced himself to the sport, from a country where the top league barely generates a few thousand fans to games.
The strangest thing is my memories of the actual game itself are a little hazy. I can remember the odd hit, the odd goal, but the things that stick out the most are things that are perhaps lost to regular NHL fans. I remember taking in the aura of the arena, the crazy escalators on the way out, the New York fans stereotypically getting on the backs of their team if more than a few minutes went by of sloppy play, the national anthems, the hot dog with liquid cheese, the plastic Rangers pint glass that still sits proudly in my cupboard, the sounds of the game, the electrifying speed. It was the fine details and the fact that I may never get to see another NHL game live that make my first game a very special one. -- Paul, London, England
My take: Well, Paul, you chose a great rink to get your first taste of the NHL. Thank God you weren't across the river in Newark. The Devils have the championships and the superstar goalie and the tremendous winning record, but they don't have MSG, baby. New York, Montreal, Edmonton and Chicago -- those are my favorite places to watch an NHL game.
jaguar0413: Being a younger hockey fan, I've got to say that the greatest game that I saw live was on June 4, 1998. Capitals at Sabres, Game 6, Eastern Conference finals. Great game with back-and-forth action from a series that had everything from Dominik Hasek throwing his blocker at Peter Bondra to great comebacks by both teams. Game 6 was the ultimate moment for any Capitals fan because it was the year that, after years of frustration, we finally made it to the Stanley Cup finals.
When Joe Juneau put Brian Bellows' rebound past Dominik Hasek, it was the greatest moment in Capitals history. I remember jumping up and down and celebrating with my dad and a complete stranger who also happened to be a Capitals fan in our section. That 1998 team was such a hardworking team that really endeared itself to the fans. Led by workhorse captain Dale Hunter, the Caps made it to the summit.
Unfortunately, the Capitals were beaten handily by the Red Wings in that final. (I still cringe when I hear the name Esa Tikkanen. To think what might have happened in that series if he had netted that goal. It might have shifted the entire momentum of the series.)
My take: I covered that game and series. I remember Juneau's overtime goal because, as a wire service reporter at that point in my career, it was stressful on deadline. Once that goal went in, I needed to have about 600 words of copy ready to go within five or 10 minutes. The big thing I remember from that series was how Olaf Kolzig matched Hasek, and that was the difference. This season, the Caps are finally back to the point where they can dream of reaching another Cup finals. And this edition of their team is better.
bflo2balt: Saturday, June 19, 1999, Game 6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup finals. I was 19 years old, home from college for the summer, and I spent my first two weeks of pay checks from my summer job to sit in the worst seats in HSBC Arena. A terrific defensive battle through three periods and two overtimes until Brett Hull ruined my night, my summer and quite possibly my life.
Being at the game, we really didn't understand the crease issue with that goal, but the next day we realized how historic an event that game really was. It was then we realized that we had been present at the first sports coup d'état where Gary Bettman decided to purposely disregard the rule, that later would be repealed, effectively overthrowing the NHL's law and order. It was a historic event that we didn't even know was happening when it was actually happening.
My take: My friend, I hope you're kidding when you say that goal ruined your life. It's only a game, sir! Then again, you live in Buffalo, and we all know how the name of NFL kicker Scott Norwood still resonates in that city. Listen, I feel bad for Sabres fans that the 1999 finals ended with a controversial goal. But let's also be honest. First of all, even if the goal had been disallowed, it doesn't mean the Sabres would have come back to win the game. Second, if even the Sabres had won that night, it doesn't mean they would have gone to Dallas and win Game 7. I think people forget that sometimes.
aeg3175: May 27, 1994, Game 7, Rangers-Devils. That is all you ever need to say. Friday night, Memorial Day weekend. I have been going to games at the Garden with my father for 27 years, but of all of them, this is THE game that will stand out for as long as I live, even more than the Cup finals games we went to. The series was incredible. Great hockey, guarantee by Messier, fierce rivalry, everything you could want heading into a Game 7. My father and I made it to our seats, and gave the usual waves and head nods to the others in the section. We sat down on that Friday night for our standard Rangers game meal, chicken fingers and fries.
The crowd noise was deafening, you couldn't hear the national anthem being sung, and the entire time we were on edge hoping, believing we would make the finals. The game itself was the best hockey I've ever seen. Then, with 7.7 seconds left in the game, Valeri Zelepukin scored to tie it, and my father and I just sank in our seats in disbelief. The Garden went from everyone on their feet and screaming to dead silence. The first overtime, we still were trying to understand what happened and hoping they wouldn't lose. In the second overtime, it was getting late, the crowd was still there and starting to really come alive. Then it happened: Stephane Matteau sweeping in and scoring. We were jumping up and down, hugging people we didn't even know. We couldn't believe the Rangers were going to the finals. The hockey played was the game at its best; the event and win were even better.
b>My take: Martin Brodeur told Ron MacLean of "Hockey Night in Canada" this past weekend that there are two games from his career he still can't stomach -- losing Game 7 of the 2001 Cup finals to Patrick Roy and the one described above. That Rangers' Cup year was some riveting stuff.
RickGozinia: My first game: Richfield Coliseum, the Cleveland Barons host the Montreal Canadiens, 1977-78 season. The Barons gave the Habs their absolute A-game for one period. Final score, 6-1 Montreal. Total thrill, even though the home team lost. So many greats on that Montreal squad.
My other great game was in Pittsburgh to see the Rangers visit. There was a Pittsburgh power play that had Lemieux, Jagr and Francis up front with Larry Murphy on the blue line. The Rangers had Gretzky, Messier and Brian Leetch on the kill. Seeing all that talent on the ice at one time was amazing. Great game, with Messier getting two of his patented wristers past rookie Patrick Lalime, both top-shelf, picked the corner. Worth every penny and every minute of the drive.
My take: Rick, my friend, you get major, major kudos for witnessing a Cleveland Barons game!
mightyh2919: There are so many. As a diehard Whalers fan, the wins are more important than the losses only because there are a lot fewer of those to choose from. But, to choose one, it would have to be the one that got me hooked on hockey in the first place. Nov. 26, 1983, at the Hartford Civic Center. Rangers in town, building full, maybe 2/3 Whalers fans, 1/3 Rangers fans. Without checking, it had to be one of the first games in NHL regular history to go to a five-minute sudden-death overtime. With 11 seconds to go and the game tied at 3, Ronnie Francis pulled "the Detroit play" to Blaine Stoughton for a one-timer and a 4-3 Whalers win. The place went nuts, "Brass Bonanza" played, and I, at the ripe young age of 9, was hooked.
My take: Speaking of teams that no longer exist, I miss the Whale. My cell phone ringtone is "Brass Bonanza." My wife thinks I'm a strange man. To this day, I feel terrible for Whalers fans in that twice they forced the Montreal Canadiens to seventh and deciding games in a playoff series (1986 and 1992) and twice lost (Claude Lemieux and Russ Courtnall). Ouch.
JRDubNC: The Wings/Canes triple-overtime Game 3 at Carolina during the Cup finals in 2002. My first Stanley Cup finals game ever in person. Great play, tense all night long, great fans around (although they were all ready to kill me for wearing my Stevie Y jersey to a Canes home venue), fantastic banter in the stands all night. Barry Melrose autographed my hat, and the Wings put the Canes away about 1 a.m. when the Professor, Larionov, finally put one in to end the game. Scotty retired after that series, and I never got to see Shanny, Stevie, Hullie and Larionov together again live.
My take: I covered this game, as well. Fantastic stuff. I can remember asking Igor Larionov how he could still be so effective at his age in such a long hockey game in June, and he mentioned something about a diet consisting of red wine and fruit. The Professor was hard to beat.
andy_baileyboy: March 26, 1997. Avs versus Red Wings @ Joe Louis Arena. How many NHL regular-season games have a dedicated Wikipedia entry?!?! This is the mother of all regular-season games: blood, revenge, comeback and overtime drama. To be in the building that night was something special. In fact, I would argue that to be in the building that night was the equivalent of roaring to the anthem at the old Chicago Stadium mixed alongside the bloodlust craved at the Roman Colosseum sprinkled with a topping of Disney magic pixie dust.
Larionov fighting Peter Forsberg. Claude Lemieux turtling. Brendan Shanahan taking out Roy. Vernon taking down Roy. Scotty Bowman and Marc Crawford verbally sparring over the partition that splits the team benches. An amazing third-period comeback by the Wings only to be topped by a game winner from Darren McCarty in overtime. The game was great, but what most NHL historians need to remember is that THIS was the game that propelled the Wings to their existing dynasty. Everything changed that night, and if you were in the building that evening, you witnessed the rebirth of a championship franchise.
mhollerb: Fight Night at the Joe, March 26, 1997. Most surreal hockey game I've ever been to. Avalanche in Detroit, at the high point of the rivalry, four rows from the glass right behind Vernon. I'll never forget Roy and Shanny crashing into each other at center ice. And to top if all off, the Wings won in overtime. So many things make it amazing. Darren McCarty, of all people, scored the GWG, Mike Vernon got win 300, and don't forget who started it. Igor Larionov and Peter Forsberg. Two of the smartest players, ever, started the massive, memorable fight.
My take: I would have killed to work this game as a reporter. Nasty stuff during this mid-'90s rivalry. I don't think there's a rivalry today that compares in terms of intensity. Don't you miss the day when goalies dropped the gloves?
docfeelgood21: 1997 All-Star Game in San Jose. The Sharks were finally becoming a strong team in the league, and hockey was finally taking off in the Bay Area when the NHL decided to bring the All-Star Game to the Tank. Sharks captain Owen Nolan rattled off two quick goals within a minute of each other during the second period, and I'll never forget his called shot on Dominik Hasek to complete his hat trick in the third period.
My take: As you know, I hate All-Star weekend, but this is one of the highlights for sure. There hasn't been an All-Star moment like that since. Nolan's "calling his shot" is one for the ages.
bvandermark: I'm sure this one will be popular among Penguins fans, but the game I'll never forget started out as just a visit with out-of-town friends. They were coming in for Christmas, so we chose a game against Toronto. The day after we bought the tickets, Mario Lemieux announced he was coming out of retirement. So, on Dec. 27, 2000 we watched the greatest player in hockey skate back out onto the ice. He registered an assist on his first shift and scored on a beautiful feed from Jaromir Jagr in the second period. Garth Snow earned the most unremembered shutout of Pens history with a final score of 5-0. I'm seen a lot of great games, but that one I'll never forget. The framed program, giveaway sign and ticket hang on my wall next to the panoramic print of the opening faceoff.
rogtodd: Mario's return in 2000 when the Pens crushed the Leafs at Mellon Arena ... been going to games since I was 3 or 4, but I'll always remember the excitement in the building and the crowd when Mario lit the lamp.
My take: With Mario, the storybook tales never ended. On the same 1993 day he had his last radiation treatment for cancer, he scored a goal and an assist in Philadelphia. So, coming back out of retirement in 2000 and scoring a goal? Small potatoes!
sargebuster: 2000 Eastern Conference finals. Flyers versus Devils. 88 is in the lineup. The Center is thumping. Any real Flyers fan knew we were going to beat the mighty Devils. Then ... thump. Scott Stevens puts Eric Lindros to the ice one last time. I've never and hope to never again hear an arena that quiet. It was the last time I watched him play live. Say what you want about his relationship with the organization, he was like nobody I've ever watched. The Flyers have never had any other player that made you stand up every time he got the puck at center ice with a full head of steam.
My take: I actually remember being in a Toronto bar with ESPN.com colleague Scott Burnside watching that game. I don't think we said a word for five minutes after that Stevens hit. Definitely one of the most memorable bodychecks in NHL history. And Lindros was never the same.