50th Anniversary Countdown: Top 10 Islanders OT Playoff Goals (No. 1-5)

No. 4 - Pat LaFontaine: Islanders vs. Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the 1987 Patrick Division Semi-Finals

Game 7 of the 1987 Patrick Division Semifinals between the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals started on Saturday, April 18th but didn't end until Easter Sunday on April 19th.

The Isles had won Games 5 and 6 to force the deciding game and trailed in the third period 2-1 until Bryan Trottier beat goaltender Bob Mason at 14:37 to make it 2-2. No one knew it at the time, but that would be the last goal for a while - a very long while.

The game went on and on and on. By the end of the night, Islanders goaltender Kelly Hrudey finished with 73 saves; his counterpart Mason made 54. As the clock approached 2 am, the teams took the ice for the 4th overtime period. Islanders star Pat Lafontaine repeated and shouted to his teammates what he had during the previous intermissions, "Who's gonna be the hero?" It would be the future Hall-of-Famer himself that would end the marathon.

"I turned around and gave it my best shot," LaFontaine said. "I didn't think it had a chance because (Capitals defenseman)  dove to block it, and I think I saw it deflect off Hatcher. Then I heard a 'clank' and looked to see where the rebound went. I didn't know it was all over until everyone started mobbing me."

"It was the best game I ever played," LaFontaine says to this day, "and the greatest game I've ever been a part of."