NHL Playoffs - All-time Game 7 Statistics

With nine months of hockey in the books, there are only two more hard-fought weeks ahead that seperate two teams from hockey's holy grail...Lord Stanley's Cup. Unfortunately for a third team an agonizing push towards the NHL Championship will come to an end after 99 games played (7 preseason, 82 regular season, and another 20 postseason games). It all comes down to one measely game for both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins, in tonights Eastern Conference Final. The greatest game in sports, something that is unique to North American sports, the seventh and deciding game, with a trip to Stanley Cup Finals on thel line and the right to fight the Western Conference Champion Vancouver Canucks.

So in honour of the Great Game 7, here are all the stats you ever wanted to know about the NHL's Game 7:


TOP THINGS TO KNOW
1. Since the NHL went to 7-game series in all four rounds in 1987, no team has won at least two Game 7s in the series played before the Stanley Cup Final and then won the title. Both the Bruins and Lightning each have won a Game 7 this playoff year already.

2. The Bruins and Lightning winner will face off against the Canucks in the Stanley Cup Final. Since the 2001-02 season, the Bruins are 7-2-1 against the Canucks. The Lightning meanwhile have won three of their last four games against the Canucks after going 3-12-4 in the previous 19 games against them.

3. The Bruins will be playing in two Game 7s in a single playoff year for the first time in team history. They had lost their previous four Game 7s before they won against the Canadiens this year in the Conference Quarterfinals. The Lightning are 3-0 all-time in Game 7 and are one of three teams to have never lost in a Game 7. The others are the Minnesota Wild (2-0) and the Florida Panthers (1-0).

4. We are assured of one streak ending regardless of the winner of this game. The Bruins, Lightning and Canucks all won their Conference Quarterfinals series in 7 games. That means this year's Stanley Cup champion will be the first since the 1992 Penguins to win the Stanley Cup after being taken to the limit in the "1st round" of the playoffs.

5. Dating back to 2002, in each of the last four instances of a Conference Finals series going seven games, the team that won the game also won the Stanley Cup. In fact, six of the last seven won the Stanley Cup with the only exception being the 2000 Stars, who lost to the Devils -- one of the teams that won a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals.


ALL-TIME IN GAME 7s
Best Win Pct. In Game 7

Win pct W-L
1.000 Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0
1.000 Minnesota Wild 2-0
1.000 Florida Panthers 1-0
.714 San Jose Sharks 5-2
.667 Edmonton Oilers 6-3
.600 Chicago Blackhawks 6-4
.600 Philadelphia Flyers 9-6
.591 Detroit Red Wings 13-9
.591 Montreal Canadiens 13-9
.571 Toronto Maple Leafs 12-9
.571 Hartford-Carolina Hurricanes 4-3
.538 Pittsburgh Penguins 7-6
.500 Boston Bruins 10-10
.500 Que.-Colorado Avalanche 6-6
.500 Vancouver Canucks 5-5
.500 Anaheim Ducks 2-2
.462 K.C.-Col.-New Jersey Devils 6-7
.455 Minnesota-Dallas Stars 5-6
.429 St. Louis Blues 6-8
.429 New York Islanders 3-4
.429 Los Angeles Kings 3-4
.417 Atlanta-Calgary Flames 5-7
.375 New York Rangers 3-5
.222 Washington Capitals 2-7
.143 Buffalo Sabres 1-6
.000 Oak.-Cal.-Clev. Barons (1967-77) 0-1
.000 Ottawa Senators 0-4
.000 Winnipeg-Phoenix Coyotes 0-5

This is the 6th Game 7 of this postseason, which is tied for the 2nd most since the NHL went to 7-game series in all four rounds in 1987. Only the 1994 postseason saw more Game 7 action.

Most Game 7s In One Postseason Since 1987

1994 7
2011 6
2009 6
2003 6
1992 6

Most Game 7s, Head Coaches

Mike Keenan 10 (5-5)
Scotty Bowman 9 (6-3)
Pat Burns 9 (6-3)
Pat Quinn 9 (5-4)
Bob Hartley 7 (4-3)
Jacques Martin 7 (2-5)
Darryl Sutter 6 (3-3)
Bryan Murray 6 (2-4)

Most Game 7 Wins for Goalies
Game 7 App

Patrick Roy 6 - 13
Ed Belfour 5 - 6
Martin Brodeur 5 - 9
Cam Ward 4 - 4
Grant Fuhr 4 - 6
Harry Lumley 4 - 6
Curtis Joseph 4 - 7

Most Game 7 Losses for Goalies
Game 7 App

Patrick Roy 7 - 13
Martin Brodeur 4 - 9
Felix Potvin 4 - 7
Chris Osgood 4 - 6
Tom Barrasso 3 - 5
Jon Casey 3 - 4
Curtis Joseph 3 - 7
Patrick Lalime 3 - 3

Most Career Game 7 Goals

Glenn Anderson 7
Jeremy Roenick 6
Trevor Linden 6
Wayne Gretzky 6
Wendel Clark 6
Jeff Friesen 5
Joe Nieuwendyk 5
Geoff Courtnall 5
Jari Kurri 5
Mark Messier 5

Most Career Game 7 Points

Doug Gilmour 13
Wayne Gretzky 12
Trevor Linden 12
Mark Messier 12
Glenn Anderson 12

Most All-Time Game 7 Appearances

Patrick Roy 13
Scott Stevens 13
Stephane Yelle 12
Glenn Anderson 12
Ken Daneyko 12
Dave Andreychuk 11
Doug Gilmour 11
Al MacInnis 11

Best W-L by Skaters in Game 7s Since 1967-68, Min. 4 Games

GP W L WIN%
Lapierre, Maxim 6 6 0 1.000
Crisp, Terry 6 6 0 1.000
Friesen, Jeff 5 5 0 1.000
Dupont, Andre 5 5 0 1.000
Cullen, Matt 4 4 0 1.000
LaRose, Chad 4 4 0 1.000
Staal, Eric 4 4 0 1.000
Sweeney, Don 4 4 0 1.000
Roberts, Gordie 4 4 0 1.000
Burridge, Randy 4 4 0 1.000
Larmer, Steve 4 4 0 1.000
Marshall, Grant 4 4 0 1.000
Leetch, Brian 4 4 0 1.000
Fedotenko, Ruslan 4 4 0 1.000

Best W-L By Goalies in NHL History, Min. 3 Games

GP W L WIN%
Ward, Cam 4 4 0 1.000
Bower, Johnny 3 3 0 1.000
Dryden, Ken 3 3 0 1.000
Belfour, Ed 6 5 1 0.833
Hrudey, Kelly 4 3 1 0.750
Parent, Bernie 4 3 1 0.750
Moog, Andy 4 3 1 0.750

Game 7 Hat Tricks

May 29 1993 CF Wayne Gretzky LA at TOR 5-4
Apr 30 1992 DSF Geoff Courtnall VAN vs WPG 5-0
Apr 16 1991 DSF Esa Tikkanen EDM at CGY 5-4 OT
May 13 1975 SF Rick MacLeish PHI vs NYI 4-1
Apr 9 1964 SF Dave Keon TOR at MTL 3-1
Apr 3 1945 SF Carl Liscombe DET vs BOS 5-3 (4 goals)
>>>Esa Tikkanen's 3rd goal was the OT winner. Carl Liscombe is the only one to have a 4-goal game in a Game 7.

Game 7 Shutouts

DATE SERIES TEAMS GOALIE
Apr 27, 2011 CQF TB 1 at PIT 0 Roloson
Apr 21, 2008 CQF BOS 0 at MTL 5 Price (rookie)
May 3, 2006 CQF ANA 3 at CGY 0 Bryzgalov (rookie)
Apr 19, 2004 CQF MTL 2 at BOS 0 Theodore
June 9, 2003 F ANA 0 at NJ 3 Brodeur
May 31, 2002 CF COL 0 at DET 7 Hasek
May 15, 2002 CSF SJ 0 at COL 1 Roy
May 14, 2002 CSF OTT 0 at TOR 3 Joseph
Apr 29, 2002 CQF LA 0 at COL 4 Roy
May 4, 1999 CQF STL 1 at PHX 0 Fuhr
May 4, 1998 CQF EDM 4 at COL 0 Joseph
Apr 29, 1997 CQF PHX 0 at ANA 3 Hebert
May 16, 1996 CSF STL 0 at DET 1 Osgood
May 18, 1995 CQF WSH 0 at PIT 3 Wregget
May 15, 1993 DF STL 0 at TOR 6 Potvin (rookie)
Apr 30, 1992 DSF WPG 0 at VAN 5 McLean
Apr 15, 1991 DSF NJ 0 at PIT 4 Pietrangelo
May 3, 1987 DF TOR 0 at DET 3 Hanlon
Apr 25, 1976 QF LA 0 at BOS 3 Gilbert
Apr 26, 1975 QF NYI 1 at PIT 0 Resch (rookie)
May 1, 1965 F CHI 0 at MTL 4 Worsley
Apr 25, 1964 F DET 0 at TOR 4 Bower
Apr 9, 1950 SF TOR 0 at DET 1 Lumley

Game 7 Overtimes

DATE SERIES TEAMS WINNING GOAL TIME
Apr 27, 2011 CQF MTL 3 at BOS 4 Horton 5:43
Apr 26, 2011 CQF CHI 1 at VAN 2 Burrows 5:22
May 14, 2009 CSF CAR 3 at BOS 2 Walker 18:46
Apr 22, 2008 CQF PHI 3 at WSH 2 Lupul 6:06 (PP)
Apr 19, 2004 CQF CGY 3 at VAN 2 Gelinas 1:25
Apr 22, 2003 CQF MIN 3 at COL 2 Brunette 3:25
May 10, 2001 CSF PIT 3 at BUF 2 Kasparaitis 13:01
May 4, 1999 CQF STL 1 at PHX 0 P. Turgeon 17:59
Apr 29, 1997 CQF EDM 4 at DAL 3 Marchant 12:26
Apr 29, 1997 CQF OTT 2 at BUF 3 D.Plante 5:24
May 16, 1996 CSF STL 0 at DET 1 Yzerman 21:15
May 19, 1995 CQF SJ 5 at CGY 4 Whitney 21:54
May 27, 1994 CF NJ 1 at NYR 2 Matteau 24:24
Apr 30, 1994 CQF VAN 4 at CGY 3 Bure 22:20
May 14, 1993 DF NYI 4 at PIT 3 Volek 5:16
May 1, 1993 DSF TOR 4 at DET 3 Borschevsky 2:35
May 1, 1992 DSF HFD 2 at MTL 3 R.Courtnall 25:26
Apr 16, 1991 DSF EDM 5 at CGY 4 Tikkanen 6:58
Apr 15, 1989 DSF VAN 3 at CGY 4 Otto 19:21
Apr 16, 1988 DSF PHI 4 at WSH 5 D.Hunter 5:57
Apr 18, 1987 DSF NYI 3 at WSH 2 LaFontaine 68:47
Apr 29, 1986 DF HFD 1 at MTL 2 C.Lemieux 5:55
May 2, 1985 DF QUE 3 at MTL 2 P.Stastny 2:22
Apr 22, 1984 DF STL 3 at MIN 4 Payne 6:00
Apr 24, 1983 DF BUF 2 at BOS 3 Park 1:52
May 10, 1979 SF BOS 4 at MTL 5 Lambert 9:33
Apr 29, 1978 QF TOR 2 at NYI 1 McDonald 4:13
Apr 16, 1972 QF STL 2 at MIN 1 O'Shea 10:07
May 3, 1968 SF MIN 1 at STL 2 Schock 22:50
Apr 16, 1954 F MTL 1 at DET 2 Leswick 4:29
Apr 23, 1950 F NYR 3 at DET 4 Babando 28:31
Apr 9, 1950 SF TOR 0 at DET 1 Reise 8:39
Apr 2, 1939 SF NYR 1 at BOS 2 Hill 48:00

Greatest Margin of Victory, Game 7s All-Time

Margin
5/31/02 COL 0 at DET 7 7
4/30/90 STL 2 at CHI 8 6
5/15/93 STL 0 at TOR 6 6
4/27/10 DET 6 at PHX 1 5
4/21/08 BOS 0 at MTL 5 5
4/22/03 TOR 1 at PHI 6 5
4/18/68 MIN 9 at LA 4 5
4/30/92 WPG 0 at VAN 5 5