Seventh Heaven: The Most Memorable Game Sevens in Stanley Cup Final History

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings will play the ultimate lose-or-go-home game seven on Friday night in Hockeytown USA. It marks the 15th time that a Final has gone the distance since the NHL switched to the seven-game format in 1939.

The Stanley Cup Final is always an intense and exciting series, but when the two teams are close enough, and the series is pushed to the brink, the seventh game is bound to stay with fans forever.

It's the one game where no matter who you cheer for, who you want to win, or what you had planned the night of the game, you simply cannot miss it. The one bounce, the lucky break, or the game-changing save—one small play is all it takes for a team to become a champion.

Game sevens are where heroes are born and players are forever remembered for how they performed in the game that mattered most. One team is crowned the champion, the other goes home with nothing but a memory of how close they came to winning the ultimate prize.

From Wayne Gretzky to Ray Bourque, some of the game's greatest players have laced them up for battle in the ultimate game seven.

This year's game in Detroit is bound to produce some memorable moments, of which you surely cannot miss.

Here are the best of the past Stanley Cup Final Game Sevens.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings, 1942 Stanley Cup Final

The first-ever Stanley Cup Final to go seven games was the 1942 series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings.

The Red Wings won the first three games of the series—two in Toronto—and were at home with a chance to wrap it up in four. Instead, the Leafs went on to win the next four games—including a 9-3 outburst in Game Five—in a shocking turnaround to win the Stanley Cup.

The Leafs won Game Seven 3-1 behind the great play of NHL Legends Syl Apps Sr., and goaltender Turk Broda.

The remarkable comeback set up an incredible Game Seven in the old Maple Leaf Gardens, and was the first time in history that a crowd of over 16,000 attended a game in Canada.

The team was led by Manager Conn Smythe, who spent most of the season fighting in World War II, but was there to lift the Cup with his team, along with coach Hap Day.

It was the Leafs' fourth Stanley Cup.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings, 1945 Stanley Cup Final

Three years after participating in the first-ever Stanley Cup Final Game Seven, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings once again found themselves battling for all the glory, in a series that truly went the distance.

The Leafs and Red Wings took a role-reversal from their previous series, when the Leafs won the first three games, only to see their lead slip away as Detroit won the next three.

This time, the game was played in Detroit, at "The Old Red Barn", The Olympia in front of a rabid Red Wing crowd.

Going into the third period, the two teams were all tied up at 1-1, until the 7:46 mark, when Babe Pratt scored the eventual game-winner, giving the Leafs franchise their fifth Cup.

Behind goaltender Frank McCool, who had stepped in for Turk Broda while he was on Army duty, and a 19-year-old Ted "Teeder" Kennedy, the Leafs were able to escape disaster and pull out a win in the final period of the final game.

It was the first time a home team lost a Game Seven in the Finals.

Detroit Red Wings vs. New York Rangers, 1950 Stanley Cup Final

Can you imagine a double overtime Stanley Cup Game Seven Final?

Well, in 1950, the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers played one of the best Game Sevens of all time, as the winning goal was not scored until 8:31 of the second overtime by Pete Babando.

The final score was 4-3, with the Red Wings able to win the Cup, even without the services of Gordy Howe, who was injured in the first game of the playoffs. Players like Ted Lindsay, Sid Abel, and Red Kelly were key in the series win.

The Red Wings' fourth Cup was the first time a Game Seven ended in an extra period.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Montreal Canadiens, 1971 Stanley Cup Final

The Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks had an unbelievable Stanley Cup Finals series, something similar to the Penguins and Red Wings this season, as far as home-team success goes.

Each team won their home games through the first six, but in the seventh and deciding game the Canadiens broke the trend and won the Cup in Chicago.

The series saw the two teams only ever win a game by more than two goals once, a 5-2 Canadiens win in Game Four.

With the game tied 2-2, and 2:37 remaining in the game, Henri "Pocket Rocket" Richard scored the game-winning goal.

Montreal won the game 3-2, as unknown goalie Ken Dryden made his playoff debut with the team, winning the MVP of the postseason.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 1987 Stanley Cup Final

After leading the series 3-1, the Edmonton Oilers allowed the Philadelphia Flyers to battle back and force a Game Seven in Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton.

As one of the best teams to ever play in the NHL, the 1987 Edmonton Oilers won the Cup 3-1 in the final game. After Mark Messier tied the game 1-1, and Jarri Kurri put the team up 2-1, Glenn Anderson added the insurance with 2:24 left in the game.

Even though the Flyers lost, Ron Hextall won the MVP award with a 40-save performance in the seventh game, a brilliant display, considering the players he was forced to stop.

Known as one of the greatest Stanley Cup Finals of all time, the two best teams in the NHL that season gave it everything they had.

The game ended with the Stanley Cup presentation to Wayne Gretzky, who immediately handed the Trophy to Steve Smith. Smith scored the game-winning goal on his own net in the previous year's Finals, against the Calgary Flames. It was the ultimate gesture of forgiveness, as the greatest player of all time handed the Cup to the man who lost it for him the season before.

The Oilers would go on to win the Cup again the next season.

New York Rangers vs. Vancouver Canucks, 1994 Stanley Cup Final

New York Ranger fans had waited 54 years for the team to win another Stanley Cup, and against the Vancouver Canucks in 1994, they finally got their chance again.

Vancouver fought back from a 3-1 series deficit to force the Game Seven at Madison Square Garden, one that would be forever remembered by fans everywhere.

The Rangers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, until Trevor Linden cut that in half with a crushing short-handed goal early in the second period. Mark Messier restored the two-goal lead, only to have Linden once again silence the crowd with another goal early in the third.

Canuck forward Nathan LaFayette rang the puck off the post behind Mike Richter with five minutes left in the game. In the final 37 seconds, there were three crucial face-offs in the Ranger zone, including the infamous puck-drop with two seconds left.

Messier and Craig MacTavish both hacked viciously at Russian sniper Pavel Bure right off the draw, and as the buzzer sounded, and the Ranger went nuts, Bure was stuck pleading with the refs to no avail.

New York was once again Stanley Cup Champions, after a 54 year drought.

CBC announcer Bob Cole said of the series when it was over, "This, I think for me anyways, has been the best Stanley Cup Final I can ever remember."

And for many, it still is.

Colorado Avalanche vs. New Jersey Devils, 2001 Stanley Cup Final

The 2001 Stanley Cup Final, if for no other reason, could be remembered because of just one man.

Ray Bourque.

As the Colorado Avalanche faced off against the defending-champion New Jersey Devils, all eyes were on the veteran defenseman, who had come over from the Boston Bruins never having won a cup.

In what would be his final season in the NHL, Ray Bourque got his one and only Cup in a thrilling seven-game series, ending in a 3-1 win in front of the home crowd. Alex Tanguay had two goals, the second the eventual series-winner, in the second period.

The famous Mission 16W, dubbed by the team before the playoffs had started, had been completed as Captian Joe Sakic grabbed Lord Stanley's Mug and handed it directly over to the teary-eyed Bourque in one of the most famous Stanley Cup celebrations in history.

Goalie Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy after posting two shutouts in the seven games.

Bourque finished his career carting the Cup around the ice that he had worked so hard, and so long, to win. He then went on to hoist it over his head during the team's Cup Parade down the streets of Denver, something he surely will never forget.

It went down in NHL history as one of the most emotional wins for a team ever.

New Jersey Devils vs. Anaheim Mighty Ducks, 2003 Stanley Cup Final

The 2003 Stanley Cup Final will forever be known as the year the Niedermayer brothers faced off, in what was an extremely back-and-fourth series.

In every game of the Finals the home team won, including the 3-0 Game Seven win by the New Jersey Devils.

The first goal, which proved to be the winning goal, was scored by Michael Rupp early in the second period. He is the only player in NHL history to have his first-career playoff goal be a Stanley Cup winner.

It was bittersweet for the Niedermayer family, who was forced to watch Scott celebrate while Rob skated off the ice with nothing.

Because of his incredible playoff performance, Jean-Sebastien Giguere won the Conn Smythe Trophy as a member of the losing Mighty Ducks. He was the fifth player in history to win the Trophy as a member of the losing team.

It was the Devils third Stanley Cup in their history.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Calgary Flames, 2004 Stanley Cup Final

For the second year in a row, the Stanley Cup Finals went to a seventh and deciding game. This time, it was the Tampa Bay Lightning making their first Cup Final appearance, against the Calgary Flames.

In what was an outstanding series, one that had gone to overtime and double-overtime in Games Five and Six, ended with a white-knuckle thriller in Tampa Bay.

After Ruslan Fedotenko scored twice early in the game for Tampa, Craig Conroy scored late to cut the lead in half. The ending was one of the best there has ever been, as the Flames threw everything they could at goalie Nikolai Khabibulin.

The game, and series, ended as Marcus Nilson was robbed by Khabibulin in the final seconds with a pad save just inches from going over the line.

The Lightning won their first and only Stanley Cup in franchise history, as forward Brad Richards walked away with the Conn Smythe Trophy for his brilliant play.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Edmonton Oilers, 2006 Stanley Cup Final

For the third time in four years, the Stanley Cup Finals went seven games, this time with the Edmonton Oilers facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The series was the second time that the Hurricanes were in the Finals as a franchise, after losing to the Red Wings in 2002 in their first.

After Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson went down with a series-ending knee injury in Game One, Edmonton was thought to be dead in the water against the high flying Hurricanes, but they proved that they could still get it done when Jussi Markkanen stepped in to replace him.

The Oilers went down 3-1 in the series, but took charge in Game's Five and Six, pushing the series to the brink.

Game Seven was a whirlwind of opportunity, with Carolina taking a 2-0 lead before Fernando Pisani scored early in the third, cutting the lead in half.

With hopes of tying the game and sending it to overtime, the Oilers pulled Markkanen with just over a minute to go. The Canes quickly took advantage, as Justin Williams was sprung on a breakaway with nothing but an empty net in front of him, and buried the puck to seal the victory.

Cam Ward won the Conn Smythe Trophy.

This Game Seven in the Finals was the last to happen until this season.

Friday night at the Joe will no doubt bring about more classic Game Seven memories, as someone will skate off the ice with the Stanley Cup proudly held above their head.

Buckle up.