NHL History: Mike Foligno game five OT winner gives Toronto Maple Leafs 1993 playoff edge over Detroit Red Wings

It was today in 1993 that an overtime thriller was capped off by a Mike Foligno goal giving the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 series lead over the Detroit Red Wings.

After a 44-29-11 regular season led offensively by Doug Gilmour (32-95—127), Nikolai Borschevsky (34-40—74) and Glenn Anderson (22-43—65) and in net by none other than Felix Potvin (25-15-7, .910 sv%).

A berth into the playoffs gave them a first-round matchup against the Red Wings. Toronto fell in games one and two on the road, before snagging game three and four wins at home.

And in game five, a huge game in the tied series, Toronto got down in a big way. Seven minutes into the second, Detroit had built themselves a 4-1 lead and appeared to be on their way to victory.

But Toronto had other things in mind. Dave Ellett got two second period goals making it a one-goal game in the third. Wendel Clark tied the game at the 11:38 mark of the third, and this game was in need of overtime.

That’s where the hero of the night, 34-year-old Foligno — in his second year in Toronto — beat Red Wings goalie Tim Cheveldae giving the Leafs the win.

Game six went to Detroit in a 7-3 win, but Toronto once against stole an overtime thriller in game seven. Borschevsky was the hero that night, as Toronto took out the home Wings.

Toronto went on to beat the St. Louis Blues in the second round, before falling in game seven against the LA Kings in the conference finals.

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