So, after almost a month of moments, we've reached the Top 5 in the countdown. It seems fitting that I've placed this moment at Number 5, because it took five overtimes for this game to end.
Moment #5: Keith Primeau beats the Penguins in the fifth overtime-May 4, 2000
Throughout this decade, the Philadelphia Flyers have been one of those teams that's been close to reaching the Stanley Cup, but something has gotten in their way each season. In the first Stanley Cup playoffs of the new decade, it looked like the Flyers would knocked out in the second round after a 105 point regular season. After finishing the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Flyers took out the Buffalo Sabres in five games, only to run into the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round. The Penguins promptly took the first two games of the series in Philadelphia by a combined 6-1 score, leaving the Flyers with very little room for error heading to Pittsburgh.
The Flyers came back with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 3, and then took the ice for Game 4 knowing that the fate of their season likely rested on the outcome of the game. With a win, the series would be tied, and the Flyers would have home ice advantage once again. If they lost, the Penguins would have a three games to one stranglehold on the series, and it seemed likely that they would be able to finish off the Flyers. The game certainly started out in Pittsburgh's favor, as Alexei Kovalev drilled a slap shot past rookie Brian Boucher less than three minutes into the game to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. The score would remain the same until the third period, when John LeClair redirected a shot by Eric Desjardins past Ron Tugnutt that would tie the game and send it into overtime.
The beauty of overtime playoff hockey is that there is always a chance that the game can go into multiple extra periods. The chance of seeing two, and in rare chances, three overtimes is always there, but in most cases, the first overtime is all that is needed. That wasn't the case in Game 4 between the Flyers and Penguins. Philadelphia dominated the first overtime, but couldn't get anything past Tugnutt. The Penguins returned the favor in the second and third overtimes, benefiting from two power plays in the third extra period, but they too couldn't figure out a way to get past Brian Boucher. As the fourth overtime began, those left in attendance and watching on television had watched two full NHL games, and they wouldn't be done yet. The fourth overtime gave way to a fifth, and the game was almost seven hours old as it began.
Through most of the fifth overtime, the action had slowed, as both teams were struggling with fatigue. This was, at the time, only the third NHL game to need a fifth overtime, and it was the first since 1936 to go as long as it had, so it was understandable to see most of the players slowing down and struggling to clear the puck out of their own zone. Finally, with the game looking like it would never end, the Flyers managed to put together a bit of an offensive attack midway through the fifth overtime, but the Penguins were able to squash it and clear the puck into Philadelphia's zone. However, the Flyers got back to the puck quickly, and Keith Primeau eventually ended up with the puck along the right wing boards. He carried it into the Pittsburgh zone, made a move past two defenders, and fired a shot.
After seven hours, and an hour and a half of overtime, the third longest game in NHL history had finally come to an end. Primeau's shot got past Ron Tugnutt and the Flyers had tied the series at two games a piece. Tugnutt had stopped an incredible 70 shots by the Flyers, but he needed to stop at least one more. Brian Boucher stopped 57 shots in net for Philadelphia. The game was the longest in the NHL since the expansion era began, and it hasn't been reached since. Only one other game, Anaheim and Dallas in 2003, has reached five overtimes, and that game ended early in the fifth overtime. For the Flyers, it was the shot in the arm that they needed. The Penguins were clearly discouraged after losing Game 4, and Philadelphia turned the tables by winning Game 5 by a 6-3 score and then closed out the series with another 2-1 win in Pittsburgh. Their run to the Stanley Cup seemed clear, as they built a 3-1 lead against the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals, but they would drop the next three games and then watch as the Devils claimed their second Stanley Cup.
Keith Primeau would play another five seasons with the Flyers and became one of the most beloved players of the decade during his time here. Eventually concussions would end his career, but in Philadelphia, he'll always be known for his goal in this game. On a personal memory, I remember watching every minute of this game back when I was a sophomore in high school. For some reason, I didn't have school the next day, so I was free to watch the entire game. There were times when I thought that the Flyers were going to be able to take the game, and then during the second and third overtimes, I was sure that the Penguins were going to take it and crush my young hopes and dreams. In the end, I couldn't make much noise, since everyone else in my house was already asleep. I mean, it was 2:35 in the morning, so I had to keep it quiet. Even so, I remember going to bed that morning knowing the Flyers were going to win the series, and I had the biggest smile on my face. I still think the 2000 Stanley Cup should belong to the Flyers. If only they hadn't blown that lead against the damn Devils.
It's still amazing to look back on this game and see some of the stats. I have to give credit to Ron Tugnutt for his 70 saves. Even in a loss, that is an amazing figure, and one that is still impressive today. Several players on both teams played almost 60 minutes, which would be a full game, and Dan McGillis of the Flyers actually played 61 minutes to lead everyone. To look back on this game almost ten years later is to look back at one of the best games in NHL history. Sports Illustrated named it the best NHL game of the decade, and ESPN put it at Number 25 on their list of the greatest games of the decade. Anyway you look at it, this game was one for the history books, and the fact that the Flyers won it makes it even better. It's a very fitting member of the top 5 moments of the decade, and things are only going to get better from here.
Oh yes, there's video with this one, too. The goal happens at about 2:30 in the clip.
The top 5 continues with the last moment from the Sixers up next. It's another from the early part of the decade, and is pretty much included on every Allen Iverson highlight reel you'll ever see.
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