The latter half of the 1930s saw the NHL playoff format evolve in a hurry.
By 1937, the practice of awarding a two-game set based on aggregate goals was retired. Two years later, the best-of-five series in the tournament’s latter stages upgraded to best-of-seven.
Now the clash for Canada’s most hallowed trophy, shared with U.S. entities, mirrored that of the bid for bragging rights in America’s pastime. The World Series had been enthralling baseball enthusiasts through a best-of-seven approach for the better part of four decades.
One of the NHL’s earliest cracks at the format set a tone for desirable drama. But this is not to say the long-retired total-goal procedure lacked intrigue late in its usage. Ditto the best-of-three and best-of-five sets, which continued in the early rounds through the early ’40s.
At least one matchup from all four formats made the cut for this ranking.
10. 1935: Montreal Maroons vs. Chicago
This was the NHL’s only total-goal series to stay scoreless after six regulation periods. With sudden death looming at Chicago Stadium, the Maroons needed to make the defending champion Blackhawks blink before they did in front of a hostile audience.
They did just that with the help of an early power play. At 4:02 of the series’ seventh stanza, Baldy Northcutt cashed a clinching conversion for the upset-minded visitors.
9. 1931: Chicago vs. Toronto
Hosting the first half of a total-goal quarterfinal, the Leafs nabbed the initial edge at 11:53. That would be the last of their leads, though they never trailed by more than one tally.
Clutch forward Mush March single-handedly gave the Blackhawks a 2-1 upper hand, which Toronto’s Andy Blair negated 49 seconds later. The deadlock held up shifting to Chicago, where Vic Rapley put the hosts back ahead late in Game 2’s opening frame.
With three minutes left in their season, the Leafs finally responded via King Clancy, forcing overtime. But Stew Adams secured a 4-3 victory for the Hawks with 40 seconds remaining in the bonus stanza.
8. 1934: Chicago vs. Montreal Canadiens
Neither party could muster a two-point edge in this total-goal quarterfinal. The Blackhawks drew first blood, then trailed after the first period before taking a 3-2 lead into Game 2.
Having usurped home-ice advantage from the Montreal Forum, Chicago merely needed to tie the Habs back home. As it happened, securing that prerequisite would take an extra 11 minutes and five seconds of defensive perfection.
Johnny Gagnon’s tally at 15:07 of Game 2’s first period held up as the series equalizer through regulation. But there would be no third lead change, as March clinched everything at 11:05 of overtime.
That would be his first of two sudden-death series deciders that spring. The other gave Chicago its first Cup two rounds later.
7. 1932: Toronto vs. Montreal Maroons
Montreal took its first lead of the back-and-forth total-goal series, 3-2, 66 seconds into Game 2’s third period.
The Leafs had led for the better part of Game 1, then briefly renewed their edge in the second contest. But their only deficit at the hands of the Maroons would not even live to see its eight-minute mark.
With 10:58 to spare, Hap Day drew a 3-3 knot, which held up through the end of regulation. Teammate Bob Gracie followed up at 17:58 of overtime, giving Toronto the 4-3 aggregate.
6. 1930: Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago
The Habs claimed a 1-0 victory at Chicago Stadium to start the total-goal quarterfinal via Wildor Larochelle’s third-period goal. All they needed was to preserve a regulation tie or better back at the Forum.
Game 2, however, was 98 seconds old when the Blackhawks solved Canadiens goaltender George Hainsworth. Home hero Howie Morenz restored Montreal’s advantage midway through the middle frame, only to see it evaporate within another 3:29.
A subsequent scoreless third period sent the series to sudden death. Hainsworth and Chicago counterpart Charlie Gardiner sustained their staring contest for two more scoreless stanzas plus another 11:39.
At that point, Morenz struck once more, giving the Habs their third and permanent lead, 3-2.
5. 1931: Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston
All three games that gave a team a lead in this best-of-five semifinal went to OT. The Bruins forced (and won) the first of those at home after initially trailing, 4-1, in the third period.
Upon bouncing back for a 1-0 regulation squeaker, the Habs needed to win two of three at the Forum. They let another multi-goal lead evaporate in the third, but recovered to take Game 3, 4-3.
Facing elimination, Boston won the only multi-goal margin of the series, 3-1. The Bruins then staged yet another multi-goal third-period rally, filling a 2-0 pothole to force sudden death in the rubber match. But Montreal pleased its home crowd once more, as Larochelle tuned the twine for identical 3-2 game and series victories.
4. 1938: NY Americans vs. NY Rangers
No one knew it at the time, but this was the Americans’ last playoff triumph. (They would fold four years later, leaving only the subsequently christened Original Six.) And it came in the second and final postseason edition of the Battle of Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers held the higher seed for this best-of-three quarterfinal, and thus would be the designated home team for Game 1 and, if necessary, Game 3. But MSG’s senior tenant flexed its resilience in the opener, erasing an early 1-0 deficit and claiming a 2-1 double-overtime victory.
Two nights later, the Rangers held on to tie the series after letting the Americans cut 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 leads. They then opened a 2-0 lead in Game 3, but the Amerks’ resilience was rewarded once more. Lorne Carr put them on the board at 4:36 of the third period, and Nels Stewart drew a 2-2 knot at 10:38.
The equivalent of a fourth game, and then some, went by with no tiebreaker. Finally, at the 40-second mark of quadruple-overtime, Carr scored again for the victory.
3. 1931: Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago
Two lead changes, two overtime games and five overtime periods highlighted this best-of-five championship.
After losing Game 1 in regulation, 2-1, Chicago pulled even with a double-overtime decision of the same score. The Blackhawks then regained the illusion of home-ice advantage by stealing a pivotal Game 3 from Montreal, 3-2, in triple-overtime.
The defending champion Habs, who had usurped the Cup from Boston the year prior, now faced a role reversal. Their outlooked darkened all the more when Chicago took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission of Game 4.
But Gagon put the Habs on the board early in the second, then drew them a 2-2 knot in the third. Two more unanswered goals via Pit Lepine forced the rubber match in Chicago, where the Canadiens won, 2-0.
2. 1939: Boston vs. NY Rangers
The first best-of-seven NHL playoff series to go the distance featured four overtime games and seven overtime periods. It was also nearly the first time any major professional sports team surmounted a 3-0 series deficit.
Confronting the specter of a sweep, the Blueshirts recovered after surrendering Game 4’s first goal in the opening minute. A 2-1 squeaker forced Game 5, which New York took in OT by an identical score in Boston.
Back home, the Rangers came from behind again to win the second multi-goal margin of the series, 3-1. But in the ensuing Game 7, Bruins forward Mel Hill cemented his “Sudden Death” nickname. The deciding striker in triple-overtime in Game 1 and single-OT in Game 2 tuned the twine again in the second bonus stanza of the rubber match.
1. 1933: Toronto vs. Boston
Over 438 minutes and 26 seconds, Buds and B’s backstops Lorne Chabot and Tiny Thompson allowed nine goals apiece. With this best-of-five semifinal warranting 300 regulation minutes, their toe-to-toe stinginess helped tack on nearly 50 percent bonus action.
Each of the first three games required overtime. After splitting the first two at home, Boston pushed the Leafs to the brink, 2-1, in Toronto. But the Buds were home for each of the two elimination games, and put the first away in regulation, 5-3.
The subsequent decider stayed scoreless through regulation, then the first five overtimes. Toronto’s Ken Doraty finally found the net at 4:46 of the sixth overtime, giving the hosts the 3-2 series win and an inconsequential 9-9 goal aggregate.
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