Red Wings win Stanley Cup in OT classic
On April 23, 1950 – 1950: In a series the Red Wings were supposed to dominate, even without injured star Gordie Howe, it takes a goal by journeyman Pete Babando for Detroit to win the Stanley Cup in the second overtime of Game 7. His goal lifts Detroit to a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers.
The American-born Babando is an unlikely hero. He had scored only six goals in 56 games during the regular season and had been blanked in the playoffs until scoring in the second period. Then at 8:31 of the second overtime, the left wing slips a 15-foot backhander past Rangers goalie Chuck Rayner to cap Red Wing comebacks from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2.
Detroit owner Jack Adams had been criticized for trading for Babando the previous summer, but all the grumbling was forgotten after his goal returns the Cup to Detroit for the first time in seven years.
Howe had suffered a life-threatening injury in the first game of the playoffs against Toronto. Ted Kennedy caught Howe in the eye with his stick and Howe went headfirst into the boards. He suffered a fractured skull, concussion, broken nose, broken cheekbone and scratched eyeball.
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