The Stanley Cup's Last-Minute Magic
Overtime Magic
Since 1954, the Stanley Cup Final has not been decided by a sudden-death overtime goal, despite multiple Game 7s and countless memorable moments in hockey's most prestigious series.
Double Overtime Drama
The last time a Game 7 went into overtime was in 1950, when Pete Babando scored the Cup-winning goal for the Detroit Red Wings in double overtime against the Montreal Canadiens. Ironically, it was Tony Leswick's goal in overtime of Game 7 in 1951 that would be the last time a sudden-death goal would decide the Stanley Cup.
Between 1979 and 2017, Joe Louis Arena in Detroit played host to eight Game 7s, including one in the 2009 Finals. Despite the home-ice advantage and the tens of thousands of passionate fans in attendance, none of those games went into overtime.
This lack of overtime drama in recent years has made the Stanley Cup even more unpredictable. With the series tied and the tension at its peak, anything can happen, but in the past seven decades, one thing has remained constant: the Stanley Cup Final will not be decided on the last shot of overtime.
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