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Carolina Hurricanes: Top Stanley Cup Playoff Moments

By Robert Leonard

RALEIGH, NC - JUNE 01: Rod Brind'Amour #17 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates his game-winning goal in front of teammate Justin Williams #11 during the third period against the Buffalo Sabres in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2006 NHL Playoffs on June 1, 2006 at RBC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes won the game 4-2 and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - JUNE 01: Rod Brind'Amour #17 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates his game-winning goal in front of teammate Justin Williams #11 during the third period against the Buffalo Sabres in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2006 NHL Playoffs on June 1, 2006 at RBC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes won the game 4-2 and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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RALEIGH, NC – JUNE 8: Left Wing Erik Cole #26 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates with the puck against the Detroit Red Wings during game three of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina on June 8, 2002. The Red Wings defeated the Hurricanes in triple overtime 3-2. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images/NHLI)
RALEIGH, NC – JUNE 8: Left Wing Erik Cole #26 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates with the puck against the Detroit Red Wings during game three of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina on June 8, 2002. The Red Wings defeated the Hurricanes in triple overtime 3-2. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images/NHLI) /

The Molson Miracle

Here’s a pretty good rule of thumb in sports; if a game, player or moment is known by a nickname, there’s a really good reason why. That game, player or moment is iconic. The Molson Miracle by all means lives up to that standard.

There are two things you need to understand as to why this game is named what it is. The first part is rather straight forward – the game took place at the Molson Centre, home of the Montreal Canadians at the time. The Miracle part needs a little explaining.

It was 2002 and the Hurricanes, fresh off “The Save” and a series win against the Devils, were absolutely on fire. But their fire extinguisher came with the Canadians and Jose Theodore in net.

It’s not too hard to explain how good Theodore was in the 2001-2002 season; along with easily winning the Vezina, he also was awarded the Hart trophy for league MVP; one of only seven goalies in NHL history to accomplish this.

Theodore lead up to the hype in Raleigh in games one and two allowing just three goals on 84 shots as the series headed to Montreal tied at 1-1. Theodore stopped 33 of 34 in a game three overtime win and Carolina would need a game 4 win to avoid the dreaded 3-1 hole.

Montreal was all over Carolina that night and led 3-0 heading to the third. Every season has that moment as a fan where you know it’s over and that moment for Carolina came in that intermission. It would truly take a miracle, pun intended, for Carolina to get out of this series alive.

Cue the miracle:

Sean Hill scored on a 5 on 3 early in the third and then Bates Battaglia got the second with just over 7 minutes to play. With the game on the line and the goalie pulled, Erik Cole took a rebound on a Ron Francis shot, pulled it to the side of Theodore and jammed in the game tying goal with just 41 seconds remaining.

3:14 into overtime is where another playoff legend was born: the “Secret Weapon” Niclas Wallin. Wallin scored what would be his first of his multiple playoff overtime goals in his career (something that Wayne Gretzky nor Gordie Howe ever did once, much less multiple times) to give Carolina the stunning victory.

Carolina never looked back from this third period charge. They won game 5 in Raleigh 5-1 and then wrapped the series up with an 8-2 win back in Montreal; a game that is now referred to as the Molson Massacre, providing the closing chapter of this historic game.

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