• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers History

Today in Hockey History: May 13

By Greg Boysen May 13th, 2020

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Today’s date is chock-full of great Stanley Cup playoff moments. May 13 has seen plenty of National Hockey League memories, including some epic comebacks, overtime history and series-clinching wins.

It Was 4-1!

Depending on which side of the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs rivalry you are on, May 13, 2013, is a date that is looked at very differently. It was on this date that the Bruins staged an epic Game 7 comeback that, once again, shattered the hearts of Maple Leafs fans.

The Bruins hosted Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal and things were not looking good as a Nazem Kadri goal gave the Maple Leafs a 4-1 lead with 14:31 left to play. Nathan Horton drew the home team to within two goals midway through the period.

Things get interesting when the Bruins pull goaltender Tuukka Rask with two minutes to play. Milan Lucic scores with 1:22 left on the clock to cut the lead to 4-3. Just 31 seconds later, Patrice Bergeron tied the game. He won it six minutes into overtime and sends the Bruins onto the next round.

With the win, the Bruins became the first team in NHL history to win the seventh game of a Stanley Cup playoff series after trailing by three goals in the third period.

Stanley Cup Final Moments

On May 13, 1971, Bobby Hull set a team record during the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens, in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. His assist gave him 22 points in the 1971 postseason, which were the most ever scored by a Blackhawks player in a single playoff. Tony Esposito picked up his second shutout of the series with 31 saves, to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead in the series.

Ken Dryden and the Canadiens continued their Stanley Cup Final dominance on May 13, 1978. They beat the Bruins 4-1, in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, to win their 10th straight Stanley Cup Final game, the most ever in league history. Their last loss in the championship series came in Game 5 of the 1973 Stanley Cup Final.

Ken Dryden #29 of the Montreal Canadiens
Dryden and the Canadiens dominated the 1970s. (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Canadiens were on the losing end of a Stanley Cup Final game one year later. On May 13, 1979, the New York Rangers beat the Canadiens 4-1, in Game 1 of the Final. Montreal came back with four straight wins to win the Stanley Cup for the fourth straight season.

On May 13, 1980, Denis Potvin scored the first-ever overtime power-play goal in a Stanley Cup Final. With just one second left on the man advantage, Potvin beats goaltender Pete Peeters to give the New York Islanders a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening game of the series. Potvin also had an assist on the game-tying goal, late in the third period.

Denis Potvin New York Islanders
Potvin was a legend on Long Island. (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images)

Two years later, Mike Bossy became the first player in Islanders history to score 50 postseason goals. Goaltender Billy Smith earned his third career playoff shutout in a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks, in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. The win gave the Islanders a 3-0 lead in the series.

Punching Their Ticket

The Flyers earned a trip to their second straight Stanley Cup Final, on May 13, 1975, by beating the Islanders 4-1, in Game 7 of the Semifinals. After Kate Smith sings a rousing version of “God Bless America,” the Flyers take over the game. Rick MacLeish scored a hat trick to avoid an epic collapse as the series needed all seven games after the Flyers took a 3-0 lead.

On May 13, 1987, Kent Nilsson scored two goals and had a pair of assists, in the Edmonton Oilers 6-3 win over the visiting Detroit Red Wings, in Game 5 of the Campbell Conference Final. Glenn Anderson assisted on five of the six goals as the Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final to take on the Flyers.

Glenn Anderson of the Edmonton Oilers
Anderson had five assists to knock out the Red Wings on this date in 1987. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Kings advanced to a conference final for the first time in franchise history on May 13, 1993. Wayne Gretzky leads the charge with a goal and two assists in a 5-3 win over the Canucks, in Game 6 of the Smythe Division Final. This was also the first time in team history where the Kings won more than one playoff series in the same season.

On May 13, 1996, Sandis Ozolinsh scored the winning goal in overtime and added an assist as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Blackhawks, in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The goal ended the Blackhawks’ season as the Avalanche continued the march to their first Stanley Cup win.

Jason Pominville made league history on May 13, 2006, as he became the first player to ever end a playoff series with an overtime shorthanded goal. His historic goal beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and sent the Buffalo Sabres on to the next round.

The Rangers beat the Washington Capitals 2-1, on May 13, 2015, in Game 7 of their second-round series. Derek Stepan scored in overtime as the Rangers erased a 3-1 series deficit to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The win improved New York’s all-time record to 7-0 in Game 7s on home ice.

Odds & Ends

On May 13, 1957, Billy Reay was named the new head coach of the Maple Leafs, replacing Howie Meeker. Reay did not qualify for the 1958 Stanley Cup playoffs and was fired 20 games into the 1958-59 season. He would eventually be hired by the Blackhawks in 1963, where he won 516 games, over 14 seasons, and took them to three Stanley Cup Finals.

Gordie Howe was named winner of Hart Trophy as NHL’s MVP for the second straight year On May 13. 1958. This was his fourth Hart win in his career, tying the record for most, at the time, set by former Bruins’ defenseman Eddie Shore. Howe won six Hart Trophies before he retired. Only Gretzky has more, with nine.

Gordie howe
Howe won six Hart Trophies with the Red Wings. (THW Archives)

The San Jose Sharks named Doug Wilson as their new general manager on May 13, 2003. Wilson still holds the job 17 years later. Only David Poile of the Nashville Predators, who was hired in 1997, has had a longer tenure as an NHL general manager.

On May 13, 2009, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin concluded their first playoff series against each other. Crosby scores two goals and adds an assist in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 6-2 win over the Capitals, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Head-to-head, Crosby’s Penguins have won three of the four all-time playoff series versus Ovechkin’s Capitals. Ovechkin has 15 goals and 33 points, while Crosby has 13 goals and 30 points.

Happy Birthday to You

You could fill out one heck of a lineup card with the 33 current and former NHL players who were born on May 13. Among them are Ron Wilson (64), Darryl Sydor (48), Jamie Allison (45), Matt Greene (37), Travis Zajac (35), Jaroslav Halak (35), Kris Versteeg (34), Jared Boll (34), P.K. Subban (31), Mark Stone (28), Michael Amadio (24) and the late Hall of Famer Babe Dye.

  • Tags
  • Alex Ovechkin
  • Patrice Bergeron
  • Sidney Crosby
  • Top Story
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 26th 6:20 PM
Calgary Flames

Tkachuk Shows His Ignorance Discussing Maple Leafs’ Campbell Injury

Jan 26th 6:10 PM
Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights Reaping the Rewards of Zach Whitecloud’s Development

Jan 26th 6:00 PM
Buffalo Sabres

Sabres Outlook After First 6 Games of 2020-21

Jan 26th 5:50 PM
Winnipeg Jets

Jets’ 2021 Offseason Free Agent Preview

Jan 26th 5:05 PM
Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Unlikely to Call Up Former Fan Favourite Darling

Jan 26th 4:40 PM
Archives

The NHL’s Best Farm Systems Ranked – 2020-21 Season Update

Jan 26th 4:32 PM
Archives

Jimmy Howard’s Red Wings Legacy

Jan 26th 4:25 PM
Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins Not Playing to Full Potential in Comeback Wins

Jan 26th 4:15 PM
Colorado Avalanche

Mediocre Avalanche Road Trip Plagued by Inconsistency

Jan 26th 4:05 PM
Buffalo Sabres

Sabres Coach Ralph Krueger is a Jack of All Trades

Editor’s Picks
Wayne Gretzky - The Great One's 10 Most Unbreakable Records

Wayne Gretzky - The Great One's 10 Most Unbreakable Records

Test Your Wayne Gretzky Knowledge With Our Quiz

Test Your Wayne Gretzky Knowledge With Our Quiz

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information