Grand moments
June 3rd, 1993
MCSORLEY'S ILLEGAL STICK
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On June 2, 1993, the Canadiens hosted the Los Angeles Kings in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals at the Forum.
After winning the opening game, Wayne Gretzky and Co., holding a slim 2-1 lead on the scoreboard, are just two minutes away from grabbing a 2-0 series advantage.
Deciding to go for broke, head coach Jacques Demers followed captain Guy Carbonneau’s advice and asked that the curve on the stick of Kings defenseman Marty McSorley be measured. The decision paid off. Referee Kerry Fraser confirmed the Habs’ suspicions and sent McSorley to the box for use of an illegal stick.
The Canadiens’ lone goal scorer in the game, Eric Desjardins takes full advantage of the penalty, netting the tying goal with 1:13 left in regulation to force overtime.
The first extra frame is barely a minute old when Desjardins, with some help from Benoit Brunet and Ed Ronan, beats Kelly Hrudey a third time to complete the Canadiens’ comeback and even up the series before it headed to Los Angeles.
At the same time, Desjardins became the first - and to this day, the only - rearguard in NHL history to score a hat trick in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Only eight defensemen had ever potted three in a playoff series before him, but none had ever done it in the Finals.
After winning the opening game, Wayne Gretzky and Co., holding a slim 2-1 lead on the scoreboard, are just two minutes away from grabbing a 2-0 series advantage.
Deciding to go for broke, head coach Jacques Demers followed captain Guy Carbonneau’s advice and asked that the curve on the stick of Kings defenseman Marty McSorley be measured. The decision paid off. Referee Kerry Fraser confirmed the Habs’ suspicions and sent McSorley to the box for use of an illegal stick.
The Canadiens’ lone goal scorer in the game, Eric Desjardins takes full advantage of the penalty, netting the tying goal with 1:13 left in regulation to force overtime.
The first extra frame is barely a minute old when Desjardins, with some help from Benoit Brunet and Ed Ronan, beats Kelly Hrudey a third time to complete the Canadiens’ comeback and even up the series before it headed to Los Angeles.
At the same time, Desjardins became the first - and to this day, the only - rearguard in NHL history to score a hat trick in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Only eight defensemen had ever potted three in a playoff series before him, but none had ever done it in the Finals.