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Ten Most Badass Moments in Stanley Cup History

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When it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the two-month stretch oft dubbed “the second season,”  there have been counts of amazing, history-making,‘most likely to make a grown man cry’ moments. Perhaps most notoriously, however, the lauded path to Lord Stanley’s Cup has also played host to some of the ballsiest moments in professional sports.

  • 1. April 25,1964: Bobby Baun Breaks Ankle, Returns to Ice

    April 25,1964: Bobby Baun Breaks Ankle, Returns to Ice
    As the clock ticked away on Game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup Finals, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Bobby Baun fought to keep his team’s Cup dreams alive by throwing his body in front of a Gordie Howe rocket, effectively breaking his ankle. Baun was carried off on a stretcher but when the game went into OT 10 minutes later Baun said “ oh hell no” to the hospital. The blueliner instead had his ankle wrapped tourniquet-tight to his skate, imbibed copious painkillers and insisted on returning to the ice. Baun earned himself legendary badass status by scoring the OT gamewinner, sending the series to a Game 7. The Leafs shutout the Wings 4-0 in Game 7 and raised Lord Stanley. Baun never missed a shift.
  • 2. May 24, 2010: Duncan Keith loses 7 teeth, returns to help ‘Hawks clinch Finals trip

    May 24, 2010: Duncan Keith loses 7 teeth, returns to help ‘Hawks clinch Finals trip
    The Chicago Blackhawks could almost taste their chance at the Cup, up 3-0 in their Western Conference Final series against the San Jose Sharks. Unfortunately their stud D-man Duncan Keith tasted frozen puck first in the form of a point-blank shot that turned Keith’s mouth into a catchers mitt. The result? Seven lost teeth. And Keith insisted on returning to the ice just over 7 minutes later-about a minute per tooth- after getting quickly cleaned up (read: tooth fragments removed; serious anesthetic injected.) The Blackhawks had been down 2-0 and he (fittingly) got the assist on the ‘Hawks first tally en route to an eventual 4-2 win and trip to the Finals.
  • 3. 2003 SCF: Scott Stevens Knocks Paul Kariya Out Cold; Kariya Comes Back and Scores

    2003 SCF: Scott Stevens Knocks Paul Kariya Out Cold; Kariya Comes Back and Scores
    With the New Jersey Devils up 3-2 in the series over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Ducks were fighting to continue their first ever Stanley Cup Finals visit in Game 6. After dumping the puck, Ducks captain Paul Kariya didn't sense that he was in the crosshairs of Devils notorious bruiser, Scott Stevens, and he was absolutely leveled by a trademark Stevens hit. After a scary few minutes where the crowd transitioned from grumbling to stunned silence as Kariya was laid out motionless on the ice, he was assisted to the locker room. However, Kariya insisted on returning to the game and to the surprise of almost everyone, was perched on the bench minutes later. About eleven minutes after the devastating hit, he fired one of his signature slap shots past Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, which helped the Ducks seal a 5–2 victory and force a Game 7. You can debate the safety of Kariya’s return, but very few on this earth can claim such cojones.
  • 4. May 25, 1994: Messier’s Guarantee: “We Will Win Tonight”

    May 25, 1994: Messier’s Guarantee: “We Will Win Tonight”
    The New York Rangers had not brought the Cup back to the Big Apple since 1945, and needless to say, the natives were restless. That is until Mark Messier, brought to New York with championship dreams, led the team back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with guns blazing. However, the Rangers found themselves with their collective backs against the wall, down 3-2 against their rival New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals heading into Game 6. The Rangers Captain then made one of the most brazen guarantees in pro sports history, stating to the rabid New York press hordes with absolute certainty, “we will win tonight.” Down 2-1, Messier made good on his promise with a miraculous third-period hat trick, leading the Blueshirts to a 4-1 win. One more seven-game series later, Messier and co. clinched the Cup.


  • 5. April 25, 2010: Eric Belanger Gets Intermission Root Canal After 8 Teeth Knocked Out; Returns to Ice

    April 25, 2010: Eric Belanger Gets Intermission Root Canal After 8 Teeth Knocked Out; Returns to Ice

    Mid-way through the first period of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Capitals forward Eric Belanger took an unfortunate (and bloody) high stick to the face at the hands of the Canadiens Marc Andre Bergeron. While the tooth casualty count was initially unclear, TV cameras caught Belanger removing at least one on the bench. It was later confirmed to be EIGHT total teeth. Also confirmed: Belanger suffered through a root canal between the 2nd and 3rd periods and returned to the ice. Unfortunately, the Caps lost the game and eventually the series, but Belanger earned a warrior award that day.

  • 6. May 5, 2009 : Crosby and Ovechkin Dueling Hat Tricks

    May 5, 2009 : Crosby and Ovechkin Dueling Hat Tricks

    In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals, ‘faces of the NHL ’ Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, took advantage of their chance to face-off against each other on the biggest stage yet and upped the drama with a show of epic proportions. Washington Capital Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguin Crosby scored dueling hat tricks en route to a 4-3 win for the Caps. Three of their goals (two for Alex, one for Sid) were scored in the last few minutes of the third period. The NHL could not have hired a script writer to craft a better story.

  • 7. May 14, 2010: Flyers Escape 0-3 Hole To Defeat Bruins, Advance to Stanley Cup Finals

    May 14, 2010: Flyers Escape 0-3 Hole To Defeat Bruins, Advance to Stanley Cup Finals
    After falling to an almost certain death with a 3-0 deficit in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Philadelphia refused to back down. Instead, they bulldozed their way out of said hole to become the third team in NHL history, and the first since the 1975 New York Islanders, to stage a comeback and win their series in seven games. To add a degree of difficulty, the Flyers also fell to a 3-0 deficit in Game 7. However Simon Gagne, who had just returned from injury in Game 4 (where he also netted the game winner) tossed aside any coffin nails with the game winning goal on the power play to win the game and the series with the same tally, 4–3.
  • 8. April 18, 1987: Pat LaFontaine Scores “Easter Epic” Gamewinner In 4th OT

    April 18, 1987: Pat LaFontaine Scores “Easter Epic” Gamewinner In 4th OT
    For much of the 68:47 minutes of extra time, the longest game that had been played since 1943, no one on the Islanders or Capitals seemed ready, willing or able to get a shot past goalies Kelly Hrudey and Bob Mason and break the 2-2 tie. In fact Hrudey made 73 saves, which is an NHL record that still stands today. As the game approached 2:00 AM Easter Sunday Patty “Lala” LaFontaine managed to muster a blistering slapshot that ricocheted off the goal post and into the net to give the Isles Game 7 victory.
  • 9. April 29, 2009: Canes Score TWICE in Final 1:20 of Game 7 To Eliminate Devils

    April 29, 2009: Canes Score TWICE in Final 1:20 of Game 7 To Eliminate Devils
    See: Clutch (KLUTCH) –adjective done or accomplished in a critical situation: a clutch shot that won the basketball game.
    The Carolina Hurricanes added a new definition to clutch with their surprise Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series-clinching win over the Devils. Down 3-2, Canes Jussi Jokinen and Eric Staal scored within 48 seconds of each other on an in-his-prime Martin Brodeur as the third period wound down, stunning the Devils and solidifying one of the greatest Game 7 comebacks in playoff history in “did that just happen?” fashion.
  • 10. April 23, 1950: Red Wings clinch Stanley Cup victory in Double-OT, seven-goal Game 7

    April 23, 1950: Red Wings clinch Stanley Cup victory in Double-OT, seven-goal Game 7
    The Red Wings fourth Stanley Cup victory was straight-up old school badass. The Red Wings earned their chance to lift Lord Stanley after out-dueling the Rangers 4-3 in a double-overtime seven-goal Game 7, a fitting close to a series that saw three of the last four games reach OT. And this was all without Mr.Hockey himself, Gordie Howe, who had been forced to miss the entire series after he suffered serious head injuries, including a lacerated eyeball(?!). Oh, and Ted Lindsay spontaneously picked up the Cup and took it for a little skate around the rink, kicking off a tradition that has inspired generations of young players to strive for that moment ever since.
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