Top 10 NHL Playoff Records

As NHL hockey fans, we all know that playoff hockey is a completely different game.  While regular season hockey provides months of entertainment, the style of game played in the spring is unrivaled.

Long after the snow and ice have left the rivers and lakes of North America, men who grew up playing on those frozen ponds take to hockey’s biggest stage in their annual quest for the Stanley Cup.

Playoff hockey is known to make even the best of the best raise their game to a new level. And, even those not celebrated as mainstream superstars often rise to the occasion in the playoffs – living their fifteen minutes of fame as the most unlikely of heroes.

Without further adieu, let’s take a look at the NHL Digest version of the Top 10 Playoff Records.

Top 10 Playoff Records

10.) Most Game Winning Goals – Brad Richards, Tampa Bay Lightning – 2004

In 2004 Not many hockey fans gave the Lightning much of a shot at winning the Stanley Cup. Brad Richards, however, had other ideas.  On his way to leading the Lightning to the Stanley Cup, Richards amassed a record 7 Game Winning Goals.  Along with his 7 game winners, he added five more goals and 14 assists to lead all scorers in the playoffs with 26 points.  Richards scored four goals and five assists in the Stanley Cup finals alone, vaulting him to the Conn Smythe Trophy!

9.) Most Points By A Defenceman – Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers – 1985

The Edmonton Oilers of the mid-1980′s were a nearly unstoppable force in the playoffs. So, it came as no surprise when they managed to win the Stanley Cup in 1985 while losing just twice in the postseason.  What is surprising is that in just 18 playoff games, Oiler defenseman Paul Coffey, managed to rack up an astounding 37 points! Prior to Coffey’s offensive outburst in 1985, no defenseman had scored more than 25 points in a single playoff year. Coffey even managed to tie Wayne Gretzky for points in the Stanley Cup final with 11.

8.) Most Goals In A Series – Jari Kurri, Edmonton Oilers – 1985

Yet another playoff record set by an Edmonton Oiler in 1985. The Oilers were on a mission in 1985 and when they met up with the Chicago Blackhawks in the conference final, it was an all-out offensive assault for 6 games.  Kurri managed to notch 12 goals in the six game series on the back of a 4 goal performance in Game 6.  He also had two other hat tricks in the series and lead all goal scorers in the 1985 playoffs with 19.

7.) Most Saves In A Single Game – Tiny Thompson, Boston Bruins – 1933

It isn’t often that a losing goalie finds his way into the record books (at least for good records) but one can’t help but appreciate the spectacular effort displayed by Thompson in the fifth and deciding game of the Bruins’ series with Toronto in 1933.  In unbelievable fashion the Leafs and Bruins managed to play 8 periods of scoreless hockey!

In the ninth period, after over 164 minutes of hockey, the Leafs finally beat Tiny Thompson to win the game and the series. Thompson had made an incredible 113 saves. Not bad for a night’s work!

6.) Most Saves In The Playoffs – Kirk McLean, Vancouver Canucks – 1994

In the 1994 playoffs, the 27 year old Canucks goaltender took the team on his back and authored an amazing run to the Stanley Cup Final.  The Canucks allowed an average of 34 shots/game, but McLean was up to the task. McLean made a miraculous 761 saves in the playoffs, with a save percentage of .928 and 4 shutouts.  However, it was all for nothing as the Canucks lost in 7 games to the New York Rangers in the Cup Final.

McLean’s 761 saves are 63 more than Ron Hextall made when he won the Conn Smythe in 1987 on the losing team.  If it were not for Brian Leetch’s remarkable attempt (34 points) at Paul Coffey’s record for most points by a defenceman in the playoffs, McLean would have a Conn Smythe trophy on his mantle today. Some argue that he should have won it anyway.

5.) Consecutive Games  With A point – Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders – 1980-1982

In what is believed to be one of the most overlooked records on the NHL’s books, Bryan Trottier’s consistent playoff scoring certainly deserves a spot in our Top 5 playoff records.

To think that one player could score at least one point in every playoff game he played over the course of three seasons is outstanding.  The 1997 Hall of Fame inductee managed to score points in 27 consecutive playoff games from 1980-1982, helping the Islanders secure their place as the dynasty franchise of the early 80′s.

4.) Most Points – Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers, 1985

Of course, no NHL Top 10 Record list would be complete without an entry from The Great One. Wayne Gretzky and his Edmonton Oilers absolutely blitzed the playoff record books in 1985.

Not only did Gretzky manage an astounding 47 points (17 Goals, 30 Assists) in the Oilers’ playoff run; he did so in just 18 games. That also gives Gretzky the record for the most points per game in the playoffs at 2.61*. Gretzky’s linemate, Jari Kurri, was the chief beneficiary of his 30 assists. As mentioned above, Kurri managed 19 Goals in the 1985 playoffs to tie Reggie Leach for the league record.
*Minimum 10 playoff points.

3.) Consecutive Overtime Wins – Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens – 1993

The Montreal Canadiens started off the 1993 playoffs very slowly, losing their first two games but ‘St. Patrick’ would bail them out. Patrick Roy did just that; backstopping the Canadiens to four straight wins against the Nordiques in the first round, four more consecutive wins in the second round and three straight wins to start the third round.  Amazingly, Roy and the Canadiens managed 10 consecutive overtime victories, including 3 overtime wins in the Stanley Cup final versus Wayne Gretzky’s Los Angeles Kings!

The 1993 playoffs were an anomaly when it came to the number of overtime contests. Some 28 games needed extra time during the 1993 playoffs, which happens to be a league record as well.

2.) Career Playoff Wins – Patrick Roy, 1986-2003

Patrick Roy absolutely dominates this record. In fact, Roy has 151 playoff victories while just two other goalies (Martin Brodeur 179*, Eddie Belfour 161) have even played in as many playoff games. Roy’s intensity and focus allowed him to take his teams deep into the playoffs; one of the reasons that he owns this record by such a wide margin.

On the strength of those deep playoff runs, including 4 Stanley Cups, Roy played in a staggering 247 career playoff games. This sheer volume of games played is also the reason that Patrick Roy has the most career playoff losses of any goalie in NHL history as well – 94.

*Martin Brodeur is still active at the time of publication
1.) Most Stanley Cups – Henri Richard, Montreal Canadiens – 1956-1975

Eleven. That is a massive number of championships for one payer to have been a part of as a player. This record tops our list as the most unbreakable playoff record for good reason. If we can assume a relatively long career in the NHL lasts 20 seasons, a player would need to win the Stanley Cup on average more than every two years to eclipse this record.

With the current parity in the league and the salary cap affecting players’ tenure with clubs, we think this record will stand for a very long time.

Of note is that Richard’s Montreal teammate, Jean Beliveau, has his name on the Stanley Cup 17 times. However, 7 of those were as a member of management. Imagine having 17 Stanley Cup rings!

Your Thoughts

So, what do you think?

Are these playoff records in the correct order?

Are there other NHL playoff records that you would include in this list?

Resources:
Legends of Hockey.net
Wikipedia NHL
HockeyDB.com
Hockey Hall of Fame Records

Video: Ryan Wilson Hits Patrik Elias

Of all of the hits this season that were clean, but may have been questioned, this hit by Colorado’s Ryan Wilson on Patrik Elias is as clean as they come.  The outcome of the hit is awful as Elias was removed on a stretcher. However, it was later determined that he would be OK and would travel with the team.

Elias was streaking down the board in front of the benches and Wilson simply took a terrific angle on him ( Matt Duchene pressured Elias toward the boards) and laid a shoulder into the chin of Elias.

Elias’ head snapped back and the CBC announcers who reviewed the replay said he was unconscious before he hit the ice. This may be why the stretcher was immediately called to the scene.

Take a look at the video of the hit.

Now, in this instance, there is no penalty that could be called on the play and yet the player was still injured.  Hockey is a contact sport and this type of thing will happen.  As I have stated before, the NHL has rules in place to protect from headshots via illegal hits … if they choose to use them.

This was a legal hit. How can the league protect its players from this type of injury?  The only real solution, in my mind, is to address the construction of shoulder pads.  With advances in today’s technology there is bound to be company that could produce a shoulder pad that both protects the player’s shoulder and would reduce the force of impact in a collision.

Update:

Even though this was a clean hit, Wilson was challenged to a fight. And, to his credit, didn’t back down.

Joe Sakic Top 10 Moments Video

Given Sakic’s retirement last Thursday, it is only appropriate to show a video of the top 10 Joe Sakic Moments as produced by The Sports Network.

Sakic is truly a classy individual and one of the most revered and respected player to play in the National Hockey League. Often referred to by the media as “Quoteless Joe”, he said all he needed to on the ice. [Faceoff.com]

He was “Quoteless Joe,” as Sakic jokingly called himself over and over at his retirement Thursday. He let his play do the talking for him for two decades, and arguably nobody ever had the combination of speed and hands. Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, big Jean Beliveau and Steve Yzerman had the hands. Mark Messier had the speed, but Sakic’s patented play where he would roar down the right side, a left-handed shooter, and effortlessly slide around a flailing defenceman, then whip that wrister under the crossbar, was a thing of beauty.

Enjoy the video!

Is Patrick Roy A Coaching Candidate For Colorado?

Shane Giroux presents his thoughts:

The speculation began even before Quenneville was let go. With Patrick Roy having begun a coaching career, everyone wondered if Roy would ever coach the Colorado Avalanche.

Now that Quenneville is gone, the speculationstartsin earnest as the two most common names being bandied about are renowned 3-time Jack Adams award winning and Stanley Cup winning coach Pat Burns along with one of the most famous – or infamous – goaltenders of all time, Patrick Roy.

Intensity or Illness?

But not only did St. Patrick grow infamous as a goaltender with a penchant for the dramatic and the ability to get in players heads, he has grown infamous behind the bench of the Quebec Remparts.

In his first year coaching the Remparts, Roy led the team to a Memorial Cup championship. It was only the 7th time that a rookie coach has won the Memorial Cup. I was in Quebec the day the team paraded down the streets and you could feel a sense of aura around the team and Patrick. It’s an aura that seems to follow him around like a shadow.

However that aura quickly turned dark the following year as Roy was involved in two incidents which reminded everyone of his quick and fiery temper. Following a game against rival Chicoutimi, a group of Chicoutimi fans swarmed the Remparts bus. Roy got out and in the scuffle was alleged to have struck Chicoutimi co-owner Pierre Cardinal.

Engage The Rage!

Roy stayed on as coach, the media firestorm subsided and the Remparts marched on to the playoffs. Then during a 10-1 beat down at the hands of Chicoutimi, a brawl broke out which saw goaltender Jonathon Roy, Patrick’s son, fly down the ice and attack Chicoutimi’s goaltender, who was not even close to a willing participant. Shortly after the scuffle was broken up, Jonathon flipped off the Chicoutimi crowd.

Why does this reflect poorly on Patrick? Well, it would appear he urged his son on. Watch closely after the ref initially restrains Roy and you’ll see Patrick make a gesture to the effect of “Get the F@*& down there!” The result was a 5-game suspension for the elder Roy and 7 games for junior.

Roy May Be Too Hot To Handle!

Francois Giguere has gone on the record stating the next coach for the Avalanche must be willing to play a high-tempo, puck possession game. It will also need to be someone who will hold players accountable for mistakes and not be so easy-going.*

He has said nothing to the effect of wanting a hot-tempered coach that will need to be handled with kid gloves lest he destroy another office.

*That last part was stated on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada last night and I couldn’t find a clip to share.

What do you think?  Should Patrick Roy be considered for coaching positions  in the National Hockey? League

Avalanche and Wild in OT Thriller!

Shane Giroux reports from Colorado Avalanche Talk: 

Wow. If that’s how the entire series is going to be, I don’t think I can watch any more games. That was Intense. It was hard-hitting, fast-paced and had about 100 times as much emotion as their last game against each other.

In other words, this was playoff hockey!

Recap
The game started off with both teams hitting anything that moved. And that mindset never let up for the full 71:11 tonight.

The Avalanche got on the board first on a Kurt Sauer marker. No, that’s not a typo. Kurt Sauer scored his second playoff goal – his previous was in Minnesota as well – off of a beauty Joe Sakic setup early in the 2nd.

Ryan Smyth followed that one up with a powerplay goal late in the second. Yes, the Avalanche were 50% on the PP tonight. It must be a full moon tonight or something.

The Wild never shut down though and they came out hard in the third. They were rewarded early as Mikko Koivu got a puck past the previously impenetrable Jose Theodore. He got that puck past Theodore thanks to an unfortunate redirection off of Jeff Finger’s skate. But we still love Finger.

Then just 3 minutes later the Wild tied it up on a powerplay of their own as Todd Fedoruk found himself all alone in front of the net and got it past Theodore. Who was supposed to be covering Fedoruk? And why didn’t Foote get that puck out of the zone?

So it was off to OT while I tried to calm my beating heart.

You know who was already calm? Joe Sakic. You know who decided the game had gone on too long? Joe Sakic. Elevent minutes in, he gobbled up a rebound off a Ruslan Salei point shot and slid it underneath a sprawling Backstrom. And you know what? The usually reserved Mr. Sakic was caught on camera giving a giant “Whooo!” after he scored. I love it!

OT Superhero
We can talk all we want about Chris “Clutch” Drury but let’s never forget what Joe Sakic has done for this team when it matters most. This was Joe’s 8th career OT playoff goal and he is magic when the game is on the line.

His composure in these situations keeps the entire team relaxed and focused so they can do their jobs. Heck, tonight Joe was even laying the body out a bit to help lead by example.

That’s one other thing to not forget. Joe is a strong, tough player. He comes from “the Dub” and that league is not for the faint of heart. If you survive in that league, you’re going to come out the other side with a rough-and-tumble exterior.

Goaltending
Wow. Kudos to both goaltenders for putting on a show. Nik Backstrom didn’t need to get going until about midway through the game as the Avalanche didn’t put much rubber on him but once they did, he was up to the task. He made at least 3 snazzy glove saves and looked cool as a cucumber in net.

At the other end, Jose Theodore looked sensational. If it wasn’t for Theodore, the Avalanche would be hanging their heads after a 5-1 defeat.

Early on the Wild were pressing hard but Theodore stood tall – and quick – in the net and kept his team in the game. When the Wild finally got their first goal, the shots were 22-9 in favor of the Wild. Enough said.

Refereeing
Ok, look back through pretty much every post I’ve ever made and you’ll notice one thing; I don’t bitch about refs.

Tonight was different. There was a stretch in the second period where the refs looked to actively have their heads shoved somewhere they shouldn’t be. There were quite a few interference calls that were missed including the blatantly obvious one by Rolston on Hannan. In that same shift, the Wild got their first goal. So yes, the refs directly led to the Avalanche first goal.

And then, they had the audacity to try to “make up for it” by not calling the most obvious trip in the game. Milan Hejduk was all but in the penalty box after he tripped a Wild forward but both refs inexplicably held their arms down. Oh wait, it wasn’t inexplicable. It was a gesture of incompetence to try and appease the Colorado bench.

Terrible effort by the refs.

Smyth, Wolski and the Forse
Ryan Smyth had a tremendous game. This was the Ryan Smyth I was stoked about last summer. He played an in-your-face style, charged the net hard, kept his feet moving and was an overall menace. If only he’d been able to convert on his penalty shot opportunity! But hey, he did managed to score the Avs second goal so we’ll forgive him.

Wojtek Wolski also had a whale of a game. He had 2 assists on the night including setting up the game winning goal with some nice, composed moves up high. He was forechecking, backchecking and hitting and that’s what I want to see out of Wolski. If he does those 3 things each game, the points will come just like they did tonight.

And Peter Forsberg. What can be said about this guy. I’ll have to echo Pierre McGuire’s comment – albeit less enthusiastically and high-pitched – and say “This guy is spectacular!”

I don’t know Forsberg keeps the puck on his stick the way he does but it’s magical. And the respect he garners opens up so much ice for his teammates that it’s unreal. Please, please, please stay healthy, Foppa.

Props all around
I singled out Ryan Smyth, Wojtek Wolski and Peter Forsberg but really, the whole lineup deserves kudos tonight. The checking line of Guite, Laperriere and McLeod worked hard, the defense played a solid game and there really was no scapegoat tonight.

Of course winning helps deter the need for a scapegoat. But I’m still looking at you, Arnason.

The “Boogeyman”
This dude scares the crap out of me. However he appears to do no such thing to the members of the Avalanche. He absolutely flattened Ben Guite and David Jones at different points in the game and they both got right back up and kept on ticking.

There were a couple times that Guite directly went after Boogaard even after Boogaard had flattened him. He also whiffed on an open cage during a powerplay opportunity when something with hands – not fists – would likely have buried it.

And it certainly didn’t stop the Avs from knocking Marian Gaborik down multiple times.

So much for the “Boogeyman” effect.

Next game
The next game is at 9:00 EDT on Friday which should leave the West coast fans plenty of time to hit the bars to celebrate a 2-0 series lead. Or did I just jinx it?