Ranking the top 5 OT winners in the early stages of the NHL playoffs
The 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs are off to a roaring start, with 11-of-24 first-round games needing extra time.
Monday night featured four overtime games for only the third time in NHL playoffs history and first time since 1985, per NHL Public Relations.
In honor of the early dramatics, we've ranked the top five winners so far in descending order:
5. Melker Karlsson - Game 1
Karlsson's heroics gave his Sharks a 1-0 series lead - one that has since evaporated. Even still, silencing a raucous crowd with a rocket wrist shot is a good way to get things going.
4. Jake Guentzel - Game 3
Benefiting from yet another ridiculous pass from Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel completed a hat trick in Game 3 to give the Penguins a 3-0 stranglehold over their division rivals.
3. Dion Phaneuf - Game 2
The Senators were a goal away from traveling to Boston down 2-0, but it was Phaneuf who broke through with a blazing slap shot past Tuukka Rask, sending the home fans into a frenzy.
2. Kasperi Kapanen - Game 2
The Maple Leafs hadn't scored an overtime winner in the playoffs since 2003, until Kapanen iced Game 2 versus the Capitals in the second extra frame.
The slick backhand pass from Brian Boyle earns this one bonus points.
1. Kevin Fiala - Game 3
Comeback win. Perfect give-and-go. 3-0 series lead. This one was a beauty.