During the NHL’s hiatus, we at the Last Word on Hockey are going to look back at each date’s historical significance to the game. We’ll remember the moments that shaped the sport of hockey that happened on this day. Here’s our look at this date in hockey history for May 5th, featuring Henri Richard.
Today in Hockey History
Henri Richard Gets OT Winner for Montreal
1966: The Montreal Canadiens forward scores 2:20 into overtime as they win their second straight Stanley Cup. Richard helps the Habs win 3-2 over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 6. The goal is the only one he scored in the 1966 post-season.
Montreal had lost the first two games of the series but roared back with four straight wins. The Cup win was the second in a run of four titles in five years until 1970. Red Wings goalie Roger Crozier wins the Conn Smythe Trophy despite his team losing.
Other Notable Events
1974: The Philadelphia Flyers are the first post-1976 expansion club to beat an Original Six team in a series. Gary Dornhoefer scores twice as the Flyers eliminate the New York Rangers with a 4-3 win in Game 7 of the semifinals.
1981: Mike Bossy scores twice as the New York Islanders sweep the rival Rangers with a 5-2 victory in the semis. Bossy breaks Reggie Leach‘s record of most goals in the regular season and post-season with 81.
1985: Peter Stastny gets an OT-winner for the second straight game in the Quebec Nordiques 2-1 win in Game 1 of the Wales Conference Final. Stastny’s marker takes down the Flyers, but Philadelphia would win the series.
2000: Joe Sakic‘s power-play goal is his 100th career post-season point. Colorado beats Detroit, 4-2, to advance to the Western Conference Final with a Game 5 win.
2010: A Dustin Byfuglien hat-trick lifts the Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-2 Game 3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. It’s the first road playoff hat-trick by a Hawks player since Bobby Hull.
2013: Jean-Gabriel Pageau scores three times as the Ottawa Senators beat Montreal 6-1 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarter-finals. He’s the fifth player to get a post-season hat-trick before his 21st birthday.
2017: The Anaheim Ducks complete an improbable comeback with a 4-3 win in two overtimes over the Edmonton Oilers. Corey Perry‘s goal 6:57 in the second OT caps a rally that started with 3:16 left in regulation. The Ducks were down 3-0 before goals by Ryan Getzlaf, Cam Fowler and Rickard Rakell.
2019: Sammy Blais scores in his playoff debut as the St. Louis Blues force Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-finals with a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars.
Happy Birthday to You
1951: Willy Lindstrom
1972: Ziggy Palffy; Mikael Renberg
1973: Johan Hedberg
1993: Rickard Rakell
1997: Mitch Marner
