What Are the Most Memorable NHL Overtime Goals in Playoff History?

The biggest moments in NHL history happen in overtime – especially during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL Overtime goals. We cover NHL betting year-round here at Ozoon Sportsbook, and nothing shifts the hockey odds, the momentum and the conversation quite like a playoff overtime goal. Consider these famous moments in hockey history:

– Bill Barilko (1951): The Toronto defenceman scored the Cup-winning goal in overtime, then disappeared in a plane crash; the Maple Leafs didn’t win another Cup until the wreckage was found in 1962.

– Bobby Orr (1970): Just 40 seconds into overtime, Orr scored the Cup-winner for Boston against St. Louis and was immediately tripped into the air, producing the most iconic hockey image of all-time.

– Patrick Kane (2010): A goal nobody in the building saw go in; the puck sat invisible behind the netting while the Chicago Blackhawks celebrated.

Why Are NHL Overtime Goals So Memorable in the Playoffs?

During the regular season, overtime is a five-minute period of 3-on-3 action, followed by a shootout if no one scores, but the playoffs don’t have this safety net. If a game is tied after 60 minutes of regulation, there’s another intermission and another 20-minute “sudden death” period of standard 5-on-5 hockey, which ends the moment someone scores. Still no winning goal? They’ll play as many OT periods as it takes – the current record is six. For a more complete look at how the NHL postseason works, visit our NHL Playoffs Guide.

What Are the Most Iconic NHL Overtime Goals in Playoff History?

There have been some amazing Stanley Cup overtime goals over the years, from Pete Babando (Detroit Red Wings) in 1950 all the way to Carter Verhaeghe (Florida Panthers) in 2023. Here’s our top five here at Ozoon, listed in chronological order:

– Bill Barilko, 1951 Stanley Cup Final, Game 5: Barilko jumped from the blueline and backhanded a shot past Montreal’s Gerry McNeil 2:53 into overtime to win the Cup for Toronto. That summer, he vanished on a fishing trip in Northern Ontario. The Leafs didn’t win another Stanley Cup until 1962 – the year his remains were found.

– Bobby Orr, 1970 Stanley Cup Final, Game 4: Derek Sanderson fed Orr from behind the St. Louis Blues net, then Orr beat Glenn Hall through the pads just as Blues defenceman Noel Picard tripped Orr, sending him airborne while he celebrated.

– Joe Sakic, 1996 Stanley Cup Final, Game 1: Sakic owns the all-time record for playoff overtime goals with eight, and his most famous came in Game 1 against Florida – an OT winner that set the tone for a Colorado sweep and the Avalanche’s first Cup.

– Patrick Kane, 2010 Stanley Cup Final, Game 6: Kane put a loose puck past Philadelphia’s Michael Leighton, but the puck sat invisible behind the netting, leaving the crowd in Philly questioning for a few precious moments whether Chicago’s 49-year Stanley Cup drought was actually over.

– Sidney Crosby, 2017 Eastern Conference Final, Game 2: This was Crosby’s lone overtime playoff goal, and it was a big one, although not as big as his Golden Goal for Team Canada versus Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Which Canadian Teams Have Delivered the Most Memorable OT Goals?

As Canada’s top destination for betting on hockey, Ozoon knows how loyal Canadian fans are to their favourite NHL teams. Here’s a closer look at their playoff OT success over the years.

Have the Toronto Maple Leafs had Iconic OT Moments?

Barilko’s 1951 Cup winner is one of the most famous goals in Canadian hockey history, and still ranks among what are the most iconic Toronto Maple Leafs moments ever. It’s partly because of the story surrounding that goal, as retold by the Tragically Hip in their 1993 single “Fifty Mission Cap,” but it’s also because the Maple Leafs haven’t had more recent success stories to tell. They haven’t won the Cup since 1967, and fan expectations are only getting bigger with each passing year.

What About the Edmonton Oilers and Their Playoff History?

The Oilers won five Stanley Cups back in their heyday, the last in 1990 after Petr Klima’s dramatic triple-OT winner in Game 1 of the Final versus Boston, a legacy that highlights how successful the Edmonton Oilers have been in the NHL playoffs. Edmonton’s overtime highlight reel doesn’t really get going until 1997, and Todd Marchant’s Game 7 winner against the Dallas Stars in the first round. More recently, Leon Draisaitl set the league record in 2025 with four overtime goals in a single postseason.

Do Other Canadian Teams Have Overtime Highlights?

The Montreal Canadiens have the richest playoff history of any Canadian franchise, and their legacy is built by legends featured in who are the greatest Montreal Canadiens players of all time, with Maurice Richard alone accounts for six overtime goals. The 2004 Calgary Flames saw Martin Gelinas clinch back-to-back series in OT, against the Vancouver Canucks in the first round and the Detroit Red Wings in the second. And while the Canucks have yet to win the Stanley Cup, they’ll always have Alex Burrows’ Game 7 winner against Chicago in the opening round of the 2011 postseason.

The playoff history is thinner for the remaining Canadian franchises. The Ottawa Senators did make it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2007 after Daniel Alfredsson’s Game 5 OT winner against the Buffalo Sabres; in 2025, the Winnipeg Jets went to double overtime before Adam Lowry put away St. Louis in Game 7 of the opening round. If you’re a Canadian hockey fan, these playoff moments will be burned in your memory even if you’re not necessarily a fan of the team that won.

How Does Overtime Work in the NHL Playoffs?

If a playoff game is tied after regulation, the teams will continue playing 20-minute periods of standard 5-on-5 hockey (with the usual power plays in case of penalties) until someone scores – no shootouts, no 3-on-3. The head coaches will shorten everyone’s shifts as they get deeper into overtime, making these pivotal Cup moments about depth and conditioning as much as skill. Further NHL postseason format details are available in our NHL Playoffs Guide.

Why Do Overtime Goals Matter for NHL Betting?

Overtime is when betting reaches peak volatility. A game that looks all but decided at 3-2 with two minutes left can flip completely; if it goes to OT, all those moneyline bets suddenly remain active, and you know there will be at least one more goal to bring the final combined score to seven – enough to go Over 6.5, in case you weren’t already dealing with the more common playoff total of 5.5.

These suffocating defensive matchups lead to more overtimes, and underdogs can have real value in spots where one goal changes everything. Live betting during overtime will see frantic shifts in the odds based on shots (both volume and quality), zone time, and goaltender performance. To learn more about these fundamentals, see our NHL Betting Guide. You can also see everyone’s current title odds on our Stanley Cup Predictions page.

What Makes a Great Overtime Goal Moment?

Context is everything. A Game 7, especially during a Stanley Cup Final, turns a more mundane overtime goal into something historic. Star power matters, but so do unexpected heroes: Mud Bruneteau was a little-known rookie when he ended the longest game in NHL history in 1936 after six overtime periods. Barilko was a low-scoring defenceman, albeit a three-time All-Star. Kane’s goal was invisible. Moments like these almost always have something off-script about them – that’s what makes them memorable.

How Do Overtime Moments Shape Stanley Cup Narratives?

Overtime can dramatically swing the momentum in a Cup series – and the Conn Smythe Trophy voting when all is said and done. Orr won the Conn Smythe in 1970 in a season where he also took home the Hart, Norris, and Art Ross, making him the only player to win all four in the same year. To find out more on how individual playoff performance gets recognized, see our pages on the Conn Smythe Trophy and NHL Trophies.

FAQ NHL Overtime Goals