Three Unforgettable NHL Playoff Moments

These Moments Have Redefined the Expectations of the NHL Playoffs.

Ice, Punches, and Drama

If you’re a fan of the NBA in general and the NHL playoffs in particular, chances are you can recite many of the best moments in the history of the postseason. It’s no surprise that every team can point to game- andor series-changing plays, whether they’ve been on the right or “wrong” side of circumstance.

As of this writing, during the early portion of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, some of those unforgettable moments were made by both current and past stars.

1942 Stanley Cup Final Game 7

There were the Detroit Red Wings, having Heimliched a 3-0 lead in the series against the Toronto Maple Leafs and now staring at a seventh and deciding game. Determined not to completely flush it (Wings were outscored, 16-6, in Games 4,5, and 6), Detroit couldn’t stave off the Leafs. Toronto was a 3-1 winner at Maple Leaf Gardens, becoming the first North American team to win a series after trailing, 3-0.

1970 Stanley Cup Final Game 4

There wasn’t much doubt the veteran Boston Bruins were going to dispose of the relatively new St. Louis Blues. Winning the first three games by a combined score of 14-4, Boston was in a tight fourth game at home, so tight that it went to overtime.

Then, the Bruins’ Derek Sanderson slipped a behind-the-net pass to Bobby Orr, the latter scoring while “flying” through Boston Garden’s air and giving the B’s their first Cup in 29 years.

1987 Patrick Division Semifinals Game 7

In what’s known as the Easter Epic at Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, the New York Islanders’  Pat LaFontaine scored more than eight minutes into the fourth overtime as the shorthanded Isles advanced. It was the longest NHL game in more than four decades. New York’s Kelly Hrudey stopped 73-of-75 shots in a game that ended Sunday morning after beginning Saturday evening.

Those are the three moments that this author has chosen. There are many others on the NHL schedule.  

Has Any NHL Team Never Been to the Stanley Cup? 

We need to be a bit more specific here, as in what teams have never been to the Finals of the Stanley Cup. Looking at the 32 teams in the NHL standings, those half-dozen would (alphabetically) be the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators (this version), Minnesota Wild, Seattle Kraken, Utah Hockey Club (former Arizona Coyotes), and Winnipeg Jets (both incarnations). Buffalo, by the way, has missed the playoffs 14 seasons in a row.

While these teams have had varying degrees of success in the NHL playoffs, there’s no title.

What Is the Gretzky Rule in the NHL?

He was so dominant, they changed the rules. Such was the case with the aforementioned Wayne Gretzky, spearheading the dynastic Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s. Hockey aficionados point to a number of rule changes/tinkers with Gretzky’s name unofficially associated with them.

One was concerning manpower. If both sides were given coincidental minor penalties, it wouldn’t affect the number of skaters on the ice. This was enacted to prevent Edmonton’s “instigating” of penalties with the mission of getting Gretzky on the ice with less opposition.

He was dangerous 5-on-5. He was borderline illegal 3-on-3 or 4–on–4.

While the rule was subsequently reversed in NHL games, it wasn’t before a message was sent.

Does BetUS Offer Constant Updates on NHL Championship Betting Odds? 

Odds were tight atop the board as of this writing at the outset of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the defending-champion Florida Panthers as 7-1 (+700) co-favorites, along with the Dallas Stars (their lone Cup was hoisted in 1999).

Right behind at 8-1 (+800) were the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights.

Next were the 9-1 (+900) Carolina Panthers and Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton, of course, nearly finished a historic comeback in the Finals last season, but lost Game 7 at Florida.

It was somewhat strange that the two best-record teams, as in the Washington Capitals and Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets, are “down there” at 10-1 (+1000).

Odds are fluid, so the job of the bettor is to find the best time to invest in the NHL Finals champ.

Any Final Thoughts?

In a wide-open board, there is certainly money to be made playing the game of NHL Stanley Cup odds. Do your homework, starting with keeping tabs on NHL tonight's game.