3 of the best overtime moments in playoff history

Playoff hockey embodies everything that is so wonderful about the NHL. 

The increased stakes, the intensity those stakes foster, the best players in the world etching their names into hockey history with legendary performances. It's all there over the two month-long war of attrition that is the Stanley Cup playoffs.

At no time are those qualities more evident than in overtime.

Less than a week into the 2014 edition of the most compelling playoff season professional sports has to offer - sue us, other leagues - fans have already been treated to five games requiring more than 60 minutes to be decided.

The proverbial marathon contest is already in the books, with the St. Louis Blues outlasting the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of their quarterfinal series, as Alex Steen finally let everyone get to bed by scoring less than a minute into the third overtime period.

With so many entries already filed into the rolodex for the inevitable overtime montage that accompanies the post-season each and every year, it's only natural to remember the best NHL overtime has ever offered.

Here are three of the best overtime moments in NHL history...

Keith Primeau just wanted some sleep

Keith Primeau had only scored seven goals in 78 career playoff games heading into Game 4 of the Philadelphia Flyers' Eastern Conference semifinal against their in-state rivals from Pittsburgh in the 1999-2000 season.

The Flyers, heavily-favored as the top seed in the conference after a 105-point regular season, found themselves down two games to one, and deadlocked at one apiece heading into a remarkable fifth overtime period.

Penguins netminder Ron Tugnutt had stopped 70 of the Flyers' first 71 shots, proving nearly unbeatable throughout the night and into the wee hours of the morning.

But at 2:35 a.m., exactly seven hours after the opening face-off, Primeau undressed defenseman Darius Kasparaitis and proceeded to do this:

Mercifully, the goal put an end to the third-longest game in NHL history.

"I didn't see it so much as I heard it," Primeau said after the game, via Sports Illustrated. "I heard it clink on the back of the net. That was a good feeling. I just hope we don't do this again soon."

Brett Hull doesn't care for your rules

His foot was in the crease. Lindy Ruff, backed by the whole of Buffalo, cried foul. And then they detested the blown call some more.

Brett Hull couldn't care less. In fact, since that night in 1999 he has reveled in the infamous moment, which saw him push a rebound past Dominik Hasek in triple overtime of Game 6 to gift the Dallas Stars the Stanley Cup.

It's the most memorable moment of his Hall of Fame career, and still there are many - both within and outside of Western New York - who will not listen to his explanation and thus deem the moment, and to some extent his career, tainted.

"We all knew that they had changed the rule," Hull said in a later interview, referring to a private memo circulated throughout the league. "But obviously the NHL decided they weren't going to tell anybody but the teams...They changed the rule to say if you have control in the crease, you can score the goal, and that's exactly what it was.

"But nobody knows that. You can tell people that a million times and they just will not listen."

Those people don't matter, Brett.

Bobby Orr, frozen in time

What, you were expecting something else?

One of the most iconic moments in NHL history, Bobby Orr’s Cup-clinching tally in overtime of Game 4 of the 1970 Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues will live forever in the lexicon of legendary hockey goals.

Thank goodness for Blues defenseman Noel Picard, who played his part in the historic moment by tripping the blueliner just after he fired the puck beyond Glenn Hall at the 40-second mark of the extra frame.

It had everything. 

The stage. The brilliant call from broadcaster Fred Cusick. The significance - the goal gave the Bruins their first title in 29 long years.

Perfection.

Immortalized by the famous photo - and then a statue outside of TD Garden in Boston - the goal helped the greatest hockey player of his generation capture the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP that year.

Honorable Mention: Patrick Kane, Steve Yzerman