Stanley Cup Playoffs 2012: 6 Biggest Playoff Overtime Goals

Sudden death overtime. One of the treasures of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

In the regular season, we give hockey teams five extra minutes to see if they can settle their scores before sending them off to the shootout. In the playoffs, we wait to see who blinks. Sometimes it can take hours.

Heading into Game 3 of the finals, we've seen 25 games decided by sudden death in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs. In the age of parity, the margin between winning and losing is smaller than ever.

The Los Angeles Kings have already won their first two games of the finals in the extra session. Will they join the exclusive group that wins the Cup in OT?

Here's a look at some amazing past overtime goals, and six great ones from this year that will carve their own places in history.

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Because It's the Cup: Overtime Winners

Here's a look at some of the great overtime goals of years gone by.

Keep your eye out for "Matteau! Matteau!" from 1994, Brett Hull's "Foot in the Crease" from 1999, Patrick Kane's "Was it a goal?" from 2010 and the cream of the crop, "Bobby Orr Flies" from 1970.

Remember the long games, like Pat Lafontaine's quadruple-overtime Game 7 series-winner from 1987 or the sweet shots like Pavel Bure's double-OT series-winner over Calgary from 1994.

Which overtime goals are your old favorites? Which goals from this year will stand the test of time?

6. Adam Henrique Eliminates the Panthers

Our Stanley Cup Final would look totally different if the New Jersey Devils hadn't gotten by Florida in Round 1.

Rookie Adam Henrique kept a relatively low profile during the regular season, but has made a name for himself by showing a flair for the dramatic in the playoffs.

After falling behind 3-2 to the Panthers in the first round, the Devils won Game 6 in overtime on a goal from Travis Zajac and then capped off the comeback with Henrique's double-OT marker in Game 7.

It was Henrique's second goal of the game and the series, and showed the hockey world that the 22-year-old Brantford native had saved the best for last.

5. Joel Ward Slays the Defending Champs

This year's first round was full of upsets. None was bigger than when the Washington Capitals beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in overtime of Game 7.

On their road to the Cup in 2011, Boston ousted the Montreal Canadiens in overtime of Game 7 of their first-round series and also won their Eastern Conference final against Tampa Bay and the Stanley Cup final against Vancouver in seven games.

The Bruins had home-ice advantage against the Caps. They were also known for thriving under pressure. Many expected a Boston win.

But Joel Ward had other ideas. Two minutes and 57 seconds into overtime, he grabbed a rebound off a Mike Knuble shot and fired the puck past a distracted Tim Thomas to give Washington the series win.

The goal was controversial because it was argued that Knuble may have interfered with Thomas after taking his initial shot. It also caused a scene when an ugly flurry of racist tweets emerged from Boston fans against goal scorer Ward.

An unfazed Ward said it didn't bother him, but the unpleasant taste left behind went well beyond sour grapes.

4. Gaborik Turns out the Lights in Washington

The Eastern Conference semifinal between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals was tied at one game apiece when the two teams locked horns for their triple-overtime battle on May 2.

In the end, it was Marian Gaborik who stood alone in the slot and converted on Brad Richards' pass from behind the net at 14 minutes past midnight eastern time. The win gave the Rangers a 2-1 series lead.

The series continued to see-saw back and forth right until Game 7. Though it was anyone's series right until the very end, that triple-overtime game proved to be enough of an edge for the Rangers to advance to the Eastern Conference final.

3. Kings Vanquish Unhinged Coyotes

The Los Angeles Kings reached the Stanley Cup final by way of one of the most dramatic sequences in overtime history.

After going up 3-0 against the Phoenix Coyotes in the Western Conference final, the Desert Dogs shut out the Kings in Game 4 and were fighting for their playoff lives in Game 5. The score was 3-3 heading into overtime.

The first overtime period was feisty, packed with emotions and chances. With about three minutes to go, an offside call led to a violent collision between Kings captain Dustin Brown and Coyotes defenseman Michal Rozsival. Rozsival went down in a heap with an apparent knee injury, and his teammates went after Brown, believing he'd caused the injury with a dirty knee-on-knee hit.

The teams were separated and no penalty was called. Play resumed, but the Coyotes were still visibly furious. The Kings won the draw and streaked down the ice. Mike Smith left a big rebound off Jeff Carter's shot and trailer Dustin Penner made no mistake. Final score: 4-3.

Kings win the series 4-1 and advance to the Stanley Cup finals.

The Coyotes and their fans were livid. The handshake line and the presentation of the Clarence Campbell Bowl were marred with boos and debris raining down on the ice. It was a tough way to go out for a hardscrabble squad in the midst of its best year since relocating to Phoenix back in 1996.

Full value to the Kings for making the most of their opportunity and delivering the death blow when the opportunity presented itself.

2. Henrique Strikes Again

The Eastern Conference final between the Rangers and Devils proved to be a fierce rivalry renewed.

The Rangers were drawing inspiration from their Hart Trophy candidate, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, and the similarities between their 2012 and 1994 postseason runs. The Devils were backstopped by veteran Martin Brodeur and buoyed by their three championships in the last 17 years.

It was another closely fought series. When the Devils went up 3-2, Rangers fans clung to the 1994 memory of Mark Messier "guaranteeing victory," then leading the comeback.

In 2012, it was not meant to be. Game 6 went to overtime, but it took just over a minute for Adam Henrique to find the back of the net. He etched a place in history as a rookie with two series-winning overtime goals, as the Devils were on their way to the Stanley Cup final.

1. Kopitar Breaks Away

The Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils both play tight, systems-based hockey. They know how to keep chances to a minimum—a fact that was readily apparent when the Devils spent over 14 minutes of the second period without a shot on goal in Game 1. They stuck with it, and regulation time ended with a 1-1 tie.

In overtime, most teams focus first on playing "not to lose." Odd-man rushes and grand offensive chances are few and far between.

How on earth did Anze Kopitar wind up with an overtime breakaway to win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals?

The video tells the tale. The Devils were pressing, and as Marek Zidlicky got tangled up with Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty got the puck and headmanned it up to Justin Williams. One more pass, and it was on the stick of the streaking Kopitar.

The big Slovenian has too much talent to waste such a golden opportunity. Kings win 2-1.

Los Angeles followed up this performance with another OT winner in Game 2, this time from Jeff Carter.

Now they're two wins away from hoisting the prize. Will the Kings continue their overtime magic back at Staples Center or can the Devils conjure up a few more tricks of their own?