Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 Greatest Hits

There have been 14 Game 7s in the history of the Stanley Cup Finals. The home team is 12-2 in those games, and unbeaten in six Game 7s since 1971. There have been some classics over the years, and some legendary moments.

In advance of Friday's Game 7 between Pittsburgh and Detroit, let's take a moment to remember some of the great Game 7 moments in NHL history. Videos after the jump.

Our search of Game 7 video took us way back to 1964. The Toronto Maple Leafs were seeking their third straight Stanley Cup. However, the Detroit Red Wings stood ably in the Leafs' way. The series was pushed into a Game 7, which was contested at Maple Leaf Gardens.

In 1971, the Montreal Canadiens hooked up with the Chicago Blackhawks. The series had belonged to home teams for the first six games, but Montreal was able to rally from 2-0 down to take Game 7 in Chicago, denying a Blackhawks' franchise that still hasn't won a Cup since 1961. Montreal still holds the distinction of being the last road team to win a Cup Finals Game 7.

The great Edmonton Oiler teams got their start in 1984, beating the Islanders, and they were still wreaking havoc on the NHL in 1987. A spunky bunch from Philadelphia pushed the Oilers to a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals, a game that was played in Edmonton.

There wouldn't be a Game 7 in the Finals again until 1994. Left for dead after falling behind to the Rangers, 3-1, in the series, the Vancouver Canucks kept the Cup in its case until Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. At one of the most well-known sports venues on the planet, a team that hadn't won the Cup since 1940 finally was able to pull off the clincher. There may be no better Cup celebration captured on video than this one, especially the boyish enthusiasm all over captain Mark Messier as he claimed the Cup for his Ranger team.

Another seven-year wait before our next Game 7, in 2001. New Jersey and Colorado spent six games stealing games in each other's buildings, and Colorado emphatically won Game 6 to force a deciding game in Denver. The storyline of the series was Colorado trying to win a Cup for future Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque, who had spent 22 years being one of the league's best and never had his name engraved on the greatest trophy in sports. It all changed on one magical Saturday night in the Mile High City.

The Devils returned to the Finals in 2003. Unlike 2001, New Jersey couldn't lose at home, and they couldn't win a game in Anaheim. The everybody-wins-at-home mentality carried through to Game 7, as goalie Martin Brodeur tried to rebound from getting pulled in Game 6.

The very next year, with thoughts of a lockout looming, Canada rode the play of the Calgary Flames into the Finals. After a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Tampa Bay in Game 6 of the series in Calgary, the Flames doggedly tried to take Game 7 in Tampa. No dice.

The last Game 7 on our list was three years ago, in 2006. Dwayne Roloson had led the Edmonton Oilers to the Finals after they entered the postseason as the eighth and final team in the West. Upset wins over Detroit, San Jose, and Anaheim got them to the doorstep, but Roloson was injured and lost for the series during Game 1. Carolina led the best-of-seven 3-1, but lost Game 5 in overtime and were shut out in Game 6. That brought on Game 7 in front of a crazy crowd in Raleigh.