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Top 10 games of 2014 (Puck Daddy Year in Review)

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(Puck Daddy presents its annual look back at the year in hockey. Check back every day through the New Year for our many lists and hot takes.)

A lot can happen in 60-plus minutes of hockey. We remember big moments, questionable decisions, memorable finishes. Some of those linger with us as time goes on. The hockey world in 2014 saw a number of fantastic games played. Alas, we could only select 10, so debate away!

Here are our top 10 games of 2014:

10. San Jose Sharks at Edmonton Oilers (Jan. 29)

The Oilers shutting out the Sharks 3-0 was surprising enough, but why the visitors were kept off the scoreboard became an historic event. Acquired two weeks earlier from the LA Kings, Edmonton netminder Ben Scrivens recorded 59 saves, an NHL record for most saves in a game without overtime. "I owe the shot-keeper a beer, I think,” he joked afterward.

9. Minnesota Wild at New York Rangers (Oct. 27)

You could hear the groans inside Madison Square Garden when Jason Pominville’s goal late in the second period gave the Wild a 3-0 lead. It was ugly, but little did Rangers fans know what was coming in the final 20 minutes. The third period saw six goals scored, five coming from New York, and zero with the aid of the power play (the Rangers only received one all night). Five different players scored, including Anthony Duclair, who tallied his first in the NHL, and Mats Zuccarello tallying goals 37 seconds apart to tie the game and then take the lead for good.

8. Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins, Game 1, Eastern Conference semifinal (May 1)

The theme of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs was no 2-0 lead was safe. In the opening game of their second round match-up, the Canadiens found that out, but were fortunate to right the ship before the game completely turned against them. A three-goal third period by Boston tied the score at three and forced a first overtime period that failed to settle the game. Carey Price would make 48 saves, but the hero would be P.K. Subban. After opening the scoring in the first period, Boston’s most-disliked Hab gave them further reason to hate with the double OT winner.

7. Finland vs. Sweden, World Junior Championship gold medal game (Jan. 5)

Sweden doubled up their Nordic rivals in the round robin stage, but their date in the gold medal game was an entirely different animal. With the pressure of playing in front of their countrymen, the Swedes fell short to a Finnish side that had dispatched Canada in the semifinal a day prior. After alternating goals, the 2-2 deadlock was broken in overtime by Rasmus Ristolainen’s golden goal.

6. Canada-Latvia, Olympic quarterfinal (Feb. 19)

Canada may have won this game 2-1, but the lasting memory is the performance put on by Latvian netminder Kristers Gudelevskis. The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect was the reason why Ted Nolan’s charges put a scare into the eventual gold medal winners and gave themselves a chance for a monumental upset. Gudlevskis made 55 saves, including 21 in the third period. Shea Weber’s power play goal with 6:54 left in regulation helped the Canadians move on, but not without sweating a bit.

5. New York Rangers at Los Angeles Kings, Stanley Cup Final, Game 5 (June 13)

Only 15 Stanley Cup finals had been ended with an overtime goal before last spring’s match-up between New York and LA. Alec Martinez was just the right man for the job in Game 5, having previously ended the Western Conference Final in dramatic fashion with an overtime winner in Game 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks. And there Martinez was leading the rush up ice in double overtime before pouncing on a rebound to beat Henrik Lundqvist and earn the Kings their second Cup in three seasons.

4. Ottawa Senators at Montreal Canadiens (Mar. 15)

With less than four minutes to go in the third period, the Senators held a comfortable 4-1 lead. Two points were seemingly in the bag for Ottawa, but those inside Bell Centre couldn’t have imagined what was about to come. In a 3:21 span Montreal scored three times, including David Desharnais’ game-tying power play tally with 0.4 seconds left on the clock. Francois Bouillon would put home his first goal in over a year in overtime to cap off the memorable comeback.

3. USA vs. Russia, Olympic round robin (Feb. 15)

You would think that a controversial call that benefited the U.S. and caused Russian fans to threaten to turn referee Brad Meier into soap would be the lingering storyline from this game, but no. With the game tied at two and a shootout needed, T.J. Oshie became T.J. “Sochi.” The forward would score four times on six chances against Sergei Bobrovsky to help earn a 3-2 win and allow for early-rising Americans a reason to celebrate their lack of sleep.

Getty Images
Getty Images

2. USA vs. Canada, women’s Olympic gold medal game (Feb. 20)

The two countries met in the final for the fourth time in five Olympics, with Canada taking the gold for the fourth consecutive time. And as always with these teams, there was plenty of drama. With the Americans holding a 2-0 lead late in the third period, Canada scored twice in the final four minutes to force overtime. Before they could get there, the U.S. had a chance to put the game away with an empty-net goal, but Kelli Stack’s attempt clanked off the post, giving the Canadians life. In overtime, it was Marie-Philip Poulin, who had tied the game earlier, playing hero and clinching gold.

1. Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Blackhawks, Game 5 (May 28)

The Kings had opened up a 3-1 series lead and were on the verge of going back to the Stanley Cup Final when they visited Chicago for Game 5. The Campbell Bowl was inside United Center waiting to be ignored at center ice, as per tradition. Chicago built up a 3-1 lead 11 minutes into the first period, only to see it evaporate and watch the Kings go ahead 4-3 midway through the second. Ben Smith’s third period goal would send the game to an overtime the likes of which many of us had never seen. The entire 20-minute period last 26 minutes in real time. Constant action, very little breaks. It was adrenaline hockey. Then, early in the second overtime, Michal Handzus ended things, pushing the series to a sixth game.

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