1. Red Wings: 6 Avalanche: 5 (OT) (March 26, 1997): During Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals, one of the universe’s greatest Assholes, Claude Lemieux, crosschecked Kris Draper into the boards. He broke Draper’s jaw. Almost a year later, the brawl. They played three times since the incident without any problems. On March 26, the Wings went on a vendetta ride. Darren McCartey beat the hell out of Lemieux, who turtled. Av goalie Patrick Roy skated down to help his teammate when he received a check from Brendan Shanahan. Adam Foote and Shanny fought it out while Roy was beaten to a pulp by Wings’ goalie Mike Vernon. Igor Larianov and Peter Forsberg paired up and Forsberg suffered an injury and did not return to the game. The game went into overtime and the Wings won on a goal from Darren McCarty. The two teams brawled again in April, 1998. In that contest, Patrick Roy was once again pummeled by a Red Wing Goalie. This time, it was Chris Osgood. Both were tossed from the game. The Wings won 2-0. However, the first brawl marked a turning point. It fueled the Wings and propelled them to two straight Stanley Cups.
2. Red Wings: 2 Flyers: 1 (June 7, 1997): The Red Wings swept Philadelphia’s Legion of Doom (renamed Legion of Broom) out of the finals. In Game 4, Darren McCarty scored the game winner in the second period. It was the first Stanley Cup for the Wings in 42 years. Unlike the 1984 Tiger celebration which turned into a riot, the Red Wing celebration was akin to the celebrations following the end of World War II. People poured into the streets and celebrated peacefully.
3. Red Wings: 1 Blues: 0 (2OT) (May 17, 1996): The Wings and Blues had gone to Game 7. Game 7 went to overtime. Yzerman vs. Gretzky. The Wings won 62 regular season games, but fell behind 3-2 in the series to Gretzky. They forced Game 7 and then neither team could score for 81 minutes. Yzerman scores and the Wings win. Nationally, this is probably the game of the decade for the NHL.
4. Pistons: 92 Trail Blazers: 90 (June 14, 1990): 007. The Pistons had not won in Portland in an eon and then swept three straight during the Finals. Vinnie Johnson capped off Game 5 with a 15 foot jumper that won the game and the World Title for the Pistons with 0.007 left on the clock.
5. Red Wings: 4 Capitals: 1 (June 16, 1998): The Red Wings won their second consecutive Stanley Cup, and 10th overall, over the Washington Capitals. The Wings celebrated with Vlad Kostantinov and Sergei Mnatsakanov who had been severely injured in a limo crash the year before.
6. Michigan: 21 Washington State: 16 (January 1, 1998): Michigan wins the Rose Bowl and their first National Title since 1948. WSU coach’s response after his team lost, “Michigan is #1. They’re getting my vote.”
7. Tigers: 8 Royals: 2 (September 27, 1999): Final Game at Tiger Stadium. Although they did not need a new park when Illitch acquired the Tigers, his neglect of the stadium made one a necessity. The Tigers beat the Royals 8-2 in the final game in which players donned the numbers of former Tiger greats. Following the game, former Tigers players, led by Mark Fidrych, marched to their former positions.
8. Lions: 21 Rams: 10 (November 17, 1991): The Lions were 6-4 going into the Rams game. During the game, right guard Mike Utley was paralyzed. As he was wheeled off the field, he gave the crowd a thumbs-up. The team did not lose another game until the NFC Championship Game against Dallas.
9. Michigan: 31 Ohio State: 3 (November 23, 1991): Michigan dominated Ohio State. The Des had 223 all-purpose yards and scored a TD on a 93 yard punt return. Howard clinched the Heisman and struck the pose. This is probably the most iconic moment in Detroit sports since Kirk Gibson rounded the bases in the 1984 World Series.
10. Michigan: 20 Ohio State: 14 (November 22, 1997): Michigan denied OSU undefeated seasons in 1993, 1995, and 1996. Ohio State looked for revenge. Instead, they got Charles Woodson.
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