The Stanley Cup Final has been an excellent show so far, with the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers being pretty evenly matched in three of the first four games. In all but one game, overtime was needed to crown a winner, and Thursday night’s game was no exception. The Cats tied up the game at 4-4 with less than 20 seconds remaining in regulation after having been up 3-0 early in the game. Connor McDavid and company had to dig to overcome the disappointment of the dying seconds and then score the game-winning goal through Leon Draisaitl.
The German’s game winner was his fourth overtime goal of these playoffs, which constitutes a new record. The previous record of three was co-held by four players, including two former Montreal Canadiens: Maurice “Rocket” Richard (1950-51) and Corey Perry (2016-17 with the Anaheim Ducks). Boston Bruins’ Mel Hill (1938-39) and Panthers’ forward Matthew Tkachuk (2022-23). With at least two games remaining in the final, the 29-year-old Hart Trophy runner-up still has time to improve the mark.
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In his famous career, Richard scored six playoff overtime goals, three more than any other player in franchise history. Kirk Muller, Russ Courtnall, and Jacques Lemaire each had three. The Rocket played 133 postseason games with the Canadiens and scored 82 goals, which is 0.62 goals per game. In the regular season, the first man to score 50 goals in 50 games scored 544 lamplighters in 978 career games for a 0.56 goal-per-game, meaning that the Rocket was an even better scorer when it mattered the most.
Meanwhile, Draisaitl has 52 goals in 94 playoff games for 0.55 goals-per-game in the postseason and 399 regular-season lamplighters in 790 games for 0.51 goals-per-game. It’s not by much, but his average is also better in the Spring tournament. In 11 seasons with the Alberta outfit, the center has had four seasons with 50+ goals.
Fittingly, he won his first Rocket Richard Trophy as the league’s top sniper this season with 52 goals. He was the only player to reach the 50-goal mark this season, with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ William Nylander coming in second place with 45 goals and the Washington Capitals’ legend Alex Ovechkin coming in third with 44 goals.
Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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