The longest playoff games in NHL history

There is actually a tie for the 30th-longest overtime game in NHL history. The first of the two games to go 51:12 into overtime was when the Devils squared off with the Lightning. As was often the case with the Devils at the time, this was a low-scoring affair. Grant Marshall scored the winner to give New Jersey the 2-1 win. The Devils would win the series on that goal and win the Cup against the Anaheim Ducks, led by Conn Smythe winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

There were more goals in this game that went 51:12 than in the 2003 affair. The Predators would win the game 4-3 thanks to a goal from beloved franchise stalwart Mike Fisher. However, the Sharks would get the last laugh, winning the series. Nashville would rebound and make it to the finals the next season but would lose to the Penguins.

The Chicago Blackhawks won this game 2-1…and then lost in overtime. Let us explain. In this old-school tie, Montreal and Chicago played a two-legged affair. The Habs won the first game 1-0, so when the Blackhawks won 2-1, it led to a 10-minute overtime, then a 30-minute overtime, then another overtime that ended in 11:43. Howie Morenz, one of the NHL’s first stars, scored the winning goal, and Montreal would then win the Cup over the Boston Bruins.

A few years later, the Habs were in a slightly-longer game. In fact, this game was a mere six seconds longer than the previous entry. This time, though, Montreal lost, with the Red Wings earning a 2-1 road win off the stick of Hec Kilrea. Detroit won the series but then lost in the finals to the New York Rangers.

Though this game involves two of the Original Six teams, it happened fairly recently. As you may have deduced, this was a game in the Stanley Cup Finals. Game 1 of the series went into three overtimes, at which point Andrew Shaw scored for Chicago. This got the Blackhawks off on the right foot, and they would take the series in six.

Man, the Blackhawks and Canadiens love their long games, huh? This time around, Murray Balfour gave Chicago the 2-1 win. The Blackhawks would then win the Stanley Cup, though their 1961 win would serve as their last Cup victory for decades. Imagine if Balfour hadn’t scored the winner here. The playoffs could have turned out quite differently for Chicago.

Yes, again. There was a bit of a jump here, as this game lasted 53:50 into overtime. Game 2 of this Stanley Cup Finals matchup had gone into double overtime, which Chicago won. Then, it won Game 3, which went into triple overtime, as Cy Wentworth scored the winning goal. The only problem? Montreal won the three games that didn’t go into overtime and also the series.

The Maple Leafs were at home but once again gave their fans a bit of playoff disappointment. Hall of Famer Mark Recchi scored for the Flyers to give them a 3-2 win. Philly would win the series in seven, but in the end, neither of these storied franchises made it to the finals. As previously noted, the Devils won it all this season.

The first game on the list to hit the 54-minute mark in overtime (54:41), there wasn’t a ton of scoring in this one. When Marian Gaborik lit the lamp in added time, it was the third goal in a 2-1 win for the Rangers. The Rangers would win the series in seven but lose to local rivals New Jersey in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Red Wings, then a Western Conference team, loaded up in a pre-salary cap era to take a run at their third Cup in six years. They faced an upstart Hurricanes squad in the finals. Carolina actually won Game 1 in overtime, but in Game 3, “The Professor” Igor Larionov gave the Wings their second win of the series. Carolina lost four in a row, and the Wings did indeed hoist the Cup.

This is arguably the most-famous overtime game in NHL history. It was Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Stars needed one more win to win the franchise’s first title. Brett Hull scored in the third overtime and Dallas won the title. However, it was not without controversy, as Hull’s skate was in the crease. Should the goal have been disallowed? The entire city of Buffalo would tell you, “Yes.”

The Oilers were looking to win their first Cup after Wayne Gretzky was dealt to Los Angeles. Mark Messier was still there, though, as was Petr Klima. It’s Klima who scored the triple-overtime winner in Game 1 of the series. Edmonton won three other games easily (and dropped one to Boston) and, indeed won a Gretzky-free Cup.

In 2013, the Blackhawks beat the Bruins in a lengthy game in the Stanley Cup Finals. In 2015, Chicago needed to win a longer game one round earlier. At the 56:12 mark of overtime, Marcus Kruger scored for the ‘Hawks to get a win over the Ducks. Chicago would take the Western Conference Finals in seven and then win the title over the Lightning.

That title-winning game was not even the longest the Stars had to endure on their path to winning their first championship. First, Dallas had to beat Edmonton. Joe Nieuwendyk scored the series-clinching goal, and, well, you know how this ended up for the Stars. Again, sorry, Buffalo fans.

Just missing the cut on this list? Game 7 of this series, which the Bruins won in triple overtime off a goal from Mel Hill. This 2-1 game opened the series, and the Bruins won off a goal from…Mel Hill.  Hill scored another overtime winner in between, earning him the nickname “Sudden Death.” This was merely the semis, but the Bruins would have an easier go of it against the Maple Leafs to win the title.

This is the last game on this list that ended in the third overtime. A high-scoring game for the time, Bun Cook’s goal at 59:32 of overtime gave the Rangers a 4-3 win. New York would win the series but then get swept by the Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Before the Rangers had the Islanders as an intra-city rival, they had the New York Americans. This matchup only lasted 40 seconds into the fourth overtime, at which point Lorne Carr scored the winner for the Americans. They won the game 3-2 and won the series 2-1. World War II ended the Americans, though, who went away after the 1941-42 season. This began the “Original Six” era.

This series opened with a quadruple-overtime Game 1. Montreal would win 3-2 off of a goal from local legend Maurice “Rocket” Richard. The Habs won Game 2 in overtime as well 1-0 and would win the series. In the finals, though, Toronto would take home the Cup.

The neutral-zone trap was beginning to take hold in the NHL, and this game also featured Martin Brodeur and Dominik Hasek in net. Thus, it is no surprise that this game went 65:43 into overtime before a single goal was scored. Buffalo got the 1-0 win off a Dave Hannan goal, but New Jersey would take the series.

Until that 1999 Stanley Cup Finals game between the Stars and Sabres, this was the overtime game that was foremost in the minds of many. After all, this is the only game on the list with its own Wikipedia page. The “Easter Epic” started on Saturday but did not end until the early hours of Easter Sunday. It also happened to be a Game 7. Kelly Hrudey made 73 saves for the Islanders and Pat LaFontaine scored the winner to give them the 3-2 win. The next round, the Islanders went to Game 7 against the Flyers, but maybe they were tired out, as the Flyers won the series.

Technically, this game went into a fifth overtime, but that’s because of the old overtime rules. There was a 10-minute overtime, followed by a series of 15-minute overtimes. All in all, this game went 68:52 into overtime. Gus Rivers gave Montreal the 2-1 win, and we already noted earlier it would win the Cup this season.

Back to business as usual, by modern standards, with a game that was in the fourth overtime when it ended. Brendan Morrow’s goal gave Dallas not just a 2-1 win in Game 6, but clinched the series. However, the Stars would then lose to the Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals, ending their run.

This is the first game to crack the 70-minute mark in terms of extra time. It’s still in the top 10 all these years later. Jack McLean gave the Maple Leafs a 3-2 win, but it didn’t amount to much. The Red Wings would end up taking this first-round series, as well as the Stanley Cup.

This is the highest-scoring game on the list. Vancouver and Dallas were tied 4-4 heading into overtime, but it took a while for the next goal to be scored. Specifically, 78:06 into overtime. Henrik Sedin’s goal would win Game 1 for the Canucks, and the Swede’s squad would then win the series 4-3. Alas, the Canucks would lose in the second round 4-1 to the Ducks, though three of those games did go into overtime!

This was a classic 1990s matchup, with some classic ‘90s names in goal. We’re talking Ken Wregget and Olaf Kolzig. Petr Nedved scored the winner in Game 4, which evened the series. Pittsburgh would then take the final two games to win the series, and then win in the second round before losing to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Speaking of the Panthers! They just made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in franchise history, and they got their by sweeping the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 1 almost made it into a fifth overtime, but the game ended at 79:47 thanks to a goal from a heroic Matthew Tkachuk. Keith’s son would end up potting three game-winners in the four games of the series.

For a team that didn’t exist in its current iteration until the ‘90s, the Dallas Stars have been in a lot of lengthy playoff games. None was longer than this one, though, the first game on the list to go into a fifth overtime. Less than a minute in, though, Petr Sykora would score to give the Mighty Ducks the 4-3 win. Anaheim would win the series, and as we noted lose to the Devils in the finals, though Giguere still won the Conn Smythe.

This is a weird one. For starters, this was a bubble postseason game. Second, this Game 1 contest was an afternoon affair, but it stretched, and stretched, into the evening. Joonas Korpisalo made a staggering 85 saves for the Blue Jackets, but at 90:27, Brayden Point scored to give the Lightning a 3-2 win. Tampa Bay would then ride that momentum to winning the Stanley Cup.

This is the longest NHL game to air on TV, as the two other games left were both from an entirely different era. The Battle for Pennsylvania just kept going and going, before Keith Primeau scored the goal to give the Flyers the 2-1 win. Philly would win the series, but then lost to New Jersey in the conference finals.

The first three games of this series went into overtime. There was then one game without an overtime, before Game 5 took things to the next level. The Bruins and Maple Leafs played 104:46 of extra time, going into a sixth additional period of action. Ken Doraty scored for Toronto, and when he did, it was the game's first goal. The Leafs won the series and moved on to the finals, where the Rangers proceeded to dispatch them in four games.

For almost a century now, this has been the longest game in NHL history. Nobody has gotten close since. There was 116:30 of added time played in this one. Mud Bruneteau was not a great player, though he was good, and he is not in the Hall of Fame. However, his name will forever be remembered by fans of NHL history, as Bruneteau scored the only goal in this game to give the Red Wings the 1-0 win. This was Game 1 of the series, which the Red Wings would sweep. Detroit would then win the Stanley Cup by beating Toronto three games to one. It all started with Mud.