For the Montreal Canadiens, a franchise deeply rooted in well over a century of tradition and excellence, there have been hundreds of overtime goals. While all these goals led to a victory, these overtime goals hold significance beyond mere victories. They are not just game-winners; they helped to excite the fan base and expand the team’s legend.
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From the thunderous cheers of the Montreal Forum to the electric atmosphere of the Bell Centre, these moments go beyond, becoming a part of the collective soul of Canadiens fans worldwide. In this article, we will list and explore some of the many dramatic goals.
5. P.K. Subban (May 1, 2014)
It was Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal, and the Canadiens were facing their long-time rivals, the Boston Bruins, at the TD Garden in Boston. The Bruins had won the Presidents’ Trophy as the top team in the regular season. The Canadiens had been able to earn a 100-point season but were still a full 17 points behind the Bruins, who were heavily favoured to win the series.
P.K. Subban’s overtime goal not only secured a pivotal Game 1 victory for the Canadiens, but it also set the tone for an unforgettable playoff series. The Canadiens would go on to upset the heavily favoured Bruins in seven games, with Subban’s dramatic goal serving as a symbol of their resilience and determination.
The game had already been a tight, hard-fought battle, but the overtime period would provide the defining moment for a player and a city. With the score deadlocked at 3-3, every shift, every shot, and every save felt like it could be a game-changer. Both teams exchanged scoring chances over both overtime periods, but it was Subban who would have the final word for the night.
At 4:17 of the second overtime, Subban, known for his dynamic play and charismatic personality, seized the opportunity to become a playoff hero with a blast from the point on the power play. While this moment made Subban a hero in Montreal, it made him a villain in Boston, which led to one of the vilest moments in the history of the Habs-Bruins’ rivalry. It made Subban the target of racist hate from a very small group of Bruins fans, but in a show of sportsmanship and decency, the entire Bruins organization denounced them all.
Even though he was a Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenseman, he had not been able to establish himself as a dominant playoff performer. This series and this goal changed that.
4. Yvon Lambert (May 10, 1979)
Lambert’s goal in overtime against the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Semifinal sent the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final, where they would ultimately win their fourth consecutive championship. But this moment, which should have been the highlight of that game was overshadowed by a brain fart and some late-game heroics.
This date is engrained in hockey lore. The Bruins and Canadiens have been each other’s most hated rivals for decades, and this is just another game that adds to the tradition. The winner of this series would face the New York Rangers for the Cup, and it was thought that the winner would have no problem beating the Blueshirts. It was a tightly contested game, with Boston holding a 4-3 advantage late into the third period. The Bruins eventually got called for one of the most famous penalties in NHL history, the now infamous “Too Many Men On The Ice Penalty.” On that power play, in the dying moments of the period, Jacques Lemaire entered the Bruins zone and left a drop pass for Guy Lafleur whose slap shot low on the far side past Gerry Cheevers sent the crowd into a frenzy and provided the overtime where Lambert played the hero.
3. Chris Chelios (April 23, 1989)
Chris Chelios‘ overtime goal in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Quarterfinal against the Hartford Whalers was the deciding moment in a series that the Canadiens went on to win in four straight. Despite it being a heated Adams Division rivalry at the time, it was a one-sided affair as this series marked the fourth consecutive defeat of the Whalers by the Canadiens in the playoffs.
This goal was one step along the way to the Canadiens moving on to the 1989 Stanley Cup Final, where they eventually lost on Montreal Forum ice to the Calgary Flames, the only time a visiting team had clinched the Cup against the Canadiens in that arena.
2. Eric Desjardins (June 3, 1993)
It was Game 2 of the 1993 Stanley Cup Final between Montreal and the Los Angeles Kings, who were led by Wayne Gretzky. Game 1 saw the Kings take the victory in Montreal. A desperate Canadiens roster returned for Game 2 looking to even the series.
Eric Desjardins scored a hat-trick, including the overtime goal, to give the Canadiens a crucial win on their way to winning the Stanley Cup. Not only did this overtime goal provide Desjardins a hat trick, which was the first time an NHL defenseman had done so in a Final.
The drama to get to overtime makes this goal even more impressive. With the Kings leading by a score of 2-1, Canadiens head coach Jacques Demers risked a delay of game penalty against his lineup and called for a measurement of the curve of Kings defenseman Marty McSorley’s stick. The stick was deemed illegal, which led to a power play. Desjardins scored on that advantage, tying the game at two goals apiece, and taking the game into overtime. It took only 51 seconds for Desjardins to net his historic hat trick, a Game 2 victory and add to the Habs’ historic overtime win streak, which ended at 10 consecutive playoff OT wins on their way to their 24th Stanley Cup.
1. Maurice Richard (April 8, 1952)
Detroit Red Wings legend Sid Abel was once asked if Maurice Richard could be stopped. His response, “Sure, he can be stopped, with a gun.”
In Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Semifinal against the Bruins, Richard scored the famous “Rocket Richard” goal in overtime, propelling the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final. This game has been made famous, not just by Richard’s heroics, but the circumstances in which he provided them. Game 7 overtime is dramatic, but to have the game’s biggest offensive star at that time, return from a bloody injury after being hit in the head sets the stage for an iconic moment.
After the game, during the handshake line, Richard and goaltender Jim “Sugar” Henry greet each other in the line. A photographer captured this moment, a moment with a bloodied Richard and a Henry with two black eyes. A rivalry, beaten combatants, this moment in hockey history will be forever seen as the epitome of playoff hockey.
Whether you’re reliving the Canadiens’ past glories or eagerly awaiting the next chapter of their storied journey, these memorable overtime goals demonstrate why the Habs hold a timeless allure and enduring magic that captures the hearts of its fan base. In the world of hockey, as in life, it’s the unforgettable moments that make it all worthwhile, and the Canadiens have given us plenty to cherish.
