Ross Colton/USA TODAY Sports
Last night, the Tampa Bay Lighting pulled out a last-second goal in a playoff matchup against the Florida Panthers.
Going into the final minutes of the Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Tampa Bay and Florida were tied up at 1-1.
With just seconds to go on the clock, the buzzer beater from Ross Colton allowed the Lightning to escape an overtime period and notch another win against the Panthers.
THAT'S ROSS GOAL-TON TO YOU 🫵 pic.twitter.com/cH9UyQ0Znq
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) May 20, 2022
The goal marked one of the most exciting moments from the 2022 tournament. And it’s not the only example of last-second winning shots from playoffs history.
Take a closer look at some of the most memorable buzzer beater goals in Stanley Cup playoff games from years past.
1964: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings
Near the end of the Original Six era, the Maple Leafs met up with the Red Wings in the 1964 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Maple Leafs were the defending champions twice over, but the Red Wings would give them a serious run for their money, starting with a tight matchup in Game 1.
Near the end of the third period, the game was tied 2-2. As the seconds ran down on the clock, overtime seemed inevitable.
But with just 2 seconds to go in regulation, Bob Pulford sent a backhand shot in the left side of the net, securing their first win of the series.
The Maple Leafs went on to win the tournament that year, securing their second Stanley Cup hat trick.
1987: Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Islanders
During the Division Finals of the 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Flyers faced off against the Islanders for Game 2.
Oddly, no goals were scored until the third period. But with the score tied 1-1 and the seconds ticking down in the third period, the Flyers went into a power play and took full advantage.
Mikko Makela took a perfect shot with just 3 seconds left, claiming victory for the Flyers.
Philadelphia made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals that year, but they ultimately lost the series 4-3 to the Edmonton Oilers.
1992: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Chicago Blackhawks
The Penguins had a rough start in Game 1 of the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals.
They were down 4-1 to the Blackhawks halfway through the second period, but after an impressive comeback, the game was tied at 4-4 with less than five minutes to go in the game.
Persisting to the very end, the Penguins finally took the lead for the first time in the game with just 13 seconds on the clock. Mario Lemieux grabbed the rebound off of Larry Murphy’s shot and rocketed it into the back of the net.
That comeback in Game 1 was the start of an amazing sweep of the series in just four games, sending the Penguins home with the Stanley Cup that year.
2006: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Edmonton Oilers
The 2006 Stanley Cup Finals got off to a thrilling start with a last-minute goal near the end of Game 1.
The Hurricanes were down 3-0 to the Oilers early in the game. After overcoming the deficit, they were sitting 4-4 following an Edmonton goal from Ales Hemsky with six minutes to go in the third.
But the Hurricanes were determined, and with just 31.1 seconds left in regulation, Rod Brind’Amour scored the winning goal after Oilers goaltender Ty Conklin misplayed the puck behind the net.
The Hurricanes would go on to win the 2006 tournament and take home the Stanley Cup.
2021: Tampa Bay vs. Montreal Canadiens
During Game 2 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals, Blake Coleman pulled out all the stops to secure a buzzer beater and the end of the second period.
With just 1.1 seconds left on the clock, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Barclay Goodrow maneuvered past Ben Chiarot of the Montreal Canadiens.
As Chiarot slid a backhand pass to his left, Coleman dove in just in time to sneak the puck past Carey Price in goal.
Blake Coleman with an unreal diving buzzer beater goal pic.twitter.com/dGOv449o6e
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) July 1, 2021
Even though it didn’t happen at the end of the game, this buzzer beater was a quite literally a gamechanger. It gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead and sent them into the third period with a wave of momentum that would eventually lead to a 3-1 win over the Canadiens.
