This date in the history of the National Hockey League has seen memorable moments. From the final drama of the Stanley Cup to coaching change and deals, May 30 has everything for us. This time machine has been shot and is ready to take us back to decades to relive all the highest moments.
Kurri-berube connection
On May 30, 1985, the Edmonton Oilers won their second consecutive championship by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 8-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final. The victory was their fourth straight time since giving up the first game of the series.
Jari Kurri scored 19Th The goal of the playoffs is to get the highest score in a single playoff game. This is the record they still share today. But Kurri didn’t win the Conn Smyth trophy for being the most valuable player in the playoffs. The honor is credited to Wayne Gretzky, who sets a playoff record of 30 assists and 47 points in just 18 games. He broke his record with 31 assists in 1987, and his score record has not yet been broken.
Just six years later, on May 30, 1991, Curry traded twice on the same day. First, he was traded to Philadelphia with Dave Brown and Corey Foster in exchange for Scott Mellanby and Craig Berube. The flyer then traded Kurri and Jeff Chychrun to the Los Angeles Kings to Steve Kasper and Steve Duchesne.
Berube is now the head coach of St. Louis Blues and has also been successful on this date. On May 30, 1998, he scored a goal in the Washington Capitals’ Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. This is Berube’s first professional playoff goal in 12 NHL seasons. He only won three of his 89 professional playoff games. Goalkeeper Olie Kolzig made 30 saves to record his fourth closure in the 1998 playoffs.
Pittsburgh Penguin Wins a Couple
The Penguins won two Stanley Cup finals on this date, 24 years apart. On May 30, 1992, Tom Barrasso gave the Penguins a 1-0 victory with the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of the finals. This is the 10th consecutive playoff victory for the Penguins. Kevin Stevens scored his only goal in the game late in the first phase, leading the Penguins 3-0 in the series.
Fast forward to May 30, 2016, and the Penguins are in the finals. Nick Bonino scored just 2:33 left in the regulations, defeating the San Jose Sharks 3-2 in the opening game of the series. Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary were only 62 seconds apart, giving the Penguins a 2-0 lead in the first phase. Tomas Hertl scored his first ever Shark goal in the Stanley Cup final.
New Jersey Devil’s 50/50
The Devil opened two Stanley finals on this date, with mixed results. On May 30, 2000, they defeated the Dallas Star 7-3 in the first game of the final. Earlier in Stage 2, he played every playoff game in Devil History. It was his fifth and final playoff game of his career and his first goal since 1995.
More than a decade later, the Devil held the first game of the final again, this time against the Kings. Colin Fraser gave Los Angeles a 1-0 lead midway through the first stage. Defensive Anton Volchenkov tied the game in the second quarter. In overtime, Justin Williams unleashed Anze Kopitar in a break-in and beat Martin Brodeur, giving the Kings a ninth straight playoff record.
Odd number and ending
On May 30, 1968, Bruce announced that 34-year-old coach Scotty Bowman was awarded other titles of general manager, replacing Lynn Patrick. He will continue to work for more than three years after his disagreement with ownership, resulting in his resignation after the 1970-71 season.
Don Cherry was appointed coach of the Colorado Rockies on May 30, 1979, a week after the Boston Brown Bears fired him. Despite the hiring and “Go into the fight and watch the Rockies race burst!” slogan brings some life to the franchise, it has barely improved the product on the ice. The outspoken Cherry was fired after the 1979-80 season, with his last one behind the NHL bench.
Bryan Watson was appointed as the new head coach of the Oilers on May 30, 1980. But after just four wins in the first 18 games of the season, general manager Glen Sather has appointed his own head coach and relegated Watson to an assistant coach. Sather kept behind the bench in the 1988-89 season, winning four Stanley Cups.
Chris Drury was once again the hero of the Colorado Avalanche on May 30, 1999. He won the 7-5 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Drury won the NHL rookie record in Game 4 of the playoffs, equaling Claude Lemieux’s 1986 result.
Goalkeeper Patrick Roy also made history in the victory. He made 25 saves, becoming the first goalkeeper in NHL history to win at least 40 games in two different franchises.
On May 30, 2018, the Capitals won their first Stanley Cup final in team history. They beat the Las Vegas Golden Cavaliers 3-2 and even won the championship series with a win. After James Neal led the Golden Knights 1-0, the Capitals scored three consecutive goals from Lars Eller, Alex Ovechkin and Brook Orpik. Vegas defensive player Shea Theodore cuts the lead to 3-2 before the second half.
Later in the third stage, Alex Tuch thought there were match goals on his stick, but Braden Holtby had a different idea with his paddle.
This is the capital’s first victory in the six-game finals of the Stanley Cup final after being swept by the Detroit Red Wings in 1998 and lost to the Golden Knights.
Nathan Mackinnon became the sixth player in NHL history, scoring two goals in his team’s first five playoff games in the Avalanche’s 7-1 victory over the Golden Knights on May 30, 2021.
On this day in 2022, the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference finals with two goals from Chris Kreider. Igor Shesterkin made 37 saves when sending the Hurricane in seven games.
Happy birthday to you
May 30 is not the most exciting day for the NHL birthday. There are only 19 current and former players on this date. The group includes Gilles Villemure (85), Greg Joly (71), Jiri Slegr (54), David Warsofsky (35), and Scott Laughton (31).
*Originally built by Greg Boysen
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