Game 7’s are special, whether it’s basketball, baseball, or whiffle ball in the backyard against your brother and your Dad with 75 foot fences and wadded-up t-shirts for bases. But there is something particularly special about a Game 7 in a NHL playoff series, an extra bit of electricity that you feel in the crowd or on the television as you sit and watch at home in your boxers, eating a large pizza from Little Caesars and an enormous bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream ’cause leave me alone, I went to the gym three days ago and the Red Wings are on, I’ll run an extra quarter mile tomorrow. The players come out flying, every check is finished, the fans stand on their feet and rattle the boards, the tension mounts. It’s a beautiful thing.
So after the Ducks held off a late rally to win 2-1 in game 6, I sat back to think about past Game 7’s the Red Wings have played in in recent history. I was surprised when I could only think of two. So I looked it up, and sure enough, the current series against Anaheim is the Wings’ 37th playoff series since 1995, yet it’s only their third Game 7 in that stretch. This is pretty amazing when you think about it. The two previous Wings game 7’s did not disappoint, however. In fact, I could argue that despite the fact that neither were in a Stanley Cup Final and the Wings have played in 5 Finals since 1995, these two Game 7’s were the most memorable playoff games in the Mike Illitch era. Let’s take a trip down memory lane:
May 19, 1996: St. Louis Blues at Detroit Red Wings, Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals
The Red Wings had won the President’s trophy in 1995-1996 with 62 wins after being swept in the Stanley Cup Finals the year before by the New Jersey Devils. They were feeling the pressure of being considered playoff chokers after losing games 3, 4, and 5 of the Western Conference Semi-finals against the St. Louis Blues to fall behind 3 games to 2 in the series. They had not won a Cup in 41 years, the longest streak in the NHL at the time. After winning game 6, game 7 at Joe Louis Arena went into double OT, scoreless at 0-0. After Wayne Gretzky coughed the puck up, captain Steve Yzerman skated down the right wing and fired a slapshot from just inside the blue line that somehow got past Jon Casey. The usually reserved Yzerman pumped his fist several times and slammed himself into the boards before being mobbed by teammates in a memorable celebration. The Wings would lose to the Colorado Avalanche in 6 games in the conference finals, but would win the Stanley Cup the following two years. This Game 7 was particularly memorable because ironically I watched it with a guy named Herbie Gelman who claimed he was the only Jewish guy in St. Louis growing up (this was never confirmed by epidemiologists.) We watched the game in old room 2 in Ann Arbor that I shared with loyal Detroiters and HUGE Wings fans Mike Versaci and Dave Pedraza. (Incidentally, Mike’s father Tony coached Dearborn Divine Child’s football team to the state championship and was later on the University of Colorado football team staff. Those of you living in metro Detroit should stop by one of Mike’s Burger King restaurants for the best burritos and quesadillas around.) Detroit and St. Louis came together after the game as a goy and a Jewish guy named Herbie went out and got schnockered together. Check out Stevie Y’s goal:
May 31, 2002: Colorado Avalanche at Detroit Red Wings, Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals
This was the culmination of a heated rivalry that had spanned well over half a decade. The series had the usual bad blood. The teams split the first 6 games, but in what was anticipated to be a highly contested Game 7, the Wings scored twice in the opening minutes and chased Patty Roy in the second period, spanking the Avs 7-0. It was reminiscent of December 2, 1995, when the Red Wings put the puck behind Roy 9 times in 17 shots, sending him to the bench in the second period in a game they won 11-1 against his Montreal Canadiens. As Roy exited the ice, he stormed past coach Mario Tremblay and told team President Ronald Corey, “This is my last game in Montreal.” Roy believed Tremblay had left him in the game after 5 early goals to humiliate him. He was traded to the Avs with Mike Keane three days later. The night of that game, I was ironically at Maple Leaf Gardens watching the Leafs play the Anaheim Mighty Ducks with some buddies from college sans 4 teeth after having a full bottle of Labatt’s Blue busted over my mouth by a skinhead in a leather jacket the night before, but I digress.
The Red Wings play the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals tomorrow night at 7pm EST at the Joe Louis Arena. I’ll be wearing Depends so I don’t have an accident out of excitement, and also so I don’t have to take any bathroom breaks.
Go Wings!!
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