On this day in 2006, Edmonton Oilers forward Fernando Pisani scored the iconic OT goal in game five of the Stanley Cup Final

On this day in 2006, Edmonton Oilers forward Fernando Pisani scored the iconic overtime goal in game five of the Stanley Cup finals erupting the Edmonton Oilers market.

Pisani was tremendous throughout the playoff run cementing himself as a legend in Edmonton. The unlikely hero played all 80 regular season games scoring 18 goals for 37 points and still, when the Oilers had made their way into the playoff picture, he certainly turned on the jets.

The Oilers were on the brink of elimination in game five against Carolina. They were down three games to one, and any small mistake that resulted in a goal for the Hurricanes would put an end to the magical and almost unbelievable playoff run.

The entire game was remarkable, and if there was a definition of playoff hockey, this game would describe it perfectly. That night, with the Stanley Cup in the building, fans packed the RBC Centre in Raleigh, North Carolina, all eager to watch their home team have the opportunity to hoist Lord Stanley.

When the puck dropped, it was clear that Edmonton wouldn’t be willing to give up without a fight. A mere 16 seconds in, Pisani shot one by Hurricanes netminder Cam Ward, putting the Oilers on the board straight from the get-go.

It’s important to mention that this game was ridden with penalties, 15 to be exact, eight of those in favour of the Oilers. The first of those Oilers’ penalties resulted in two power-play goals for the Hurricanes, pushing them into the lead.

The Oilers weren’t ready to leave the ice for the first-period break without pushing in front of the Hurricanes on the scoreboard. A hooking call on Carolina forward Matt Cullen gave Ales Hemsky the perfect opportunity to tie it up. Shortly after, Michael Peca buried one more past Ward going into the second period with a score of 3-2 for the Oilers.

The second period remained a period of hard-fought hockey, but just before the 10-minute mark Eric Staal tied up the game at three. Fans wouldn’t hear any goal horn blare into the crowd during the third period, as both teams fought tremendously to keep the opposing team out of their end of the ice and away from their creases. This meant game five would be heading into overtime. If the Oilers didn’t make magic happen, they’d go home empty-handed.

The puck was dropped as the sweat beads began to drip down players’ faces, and off they went. Just three minutes in, Steve Staios made his way to the sin bin for tripping, and the eagerness on both ends could be felt all the way back in Edmonton.

The puck was making its way around Carolina’s end of the ice when it was passed up to Cory Stillman, who in an attempt to make a cross-ice pass, was faced with Oilers forward, Ethan Moreau’s stick connecting with his allowing the pass to slide effortlessly to centre ice.

That’s when Pisani took matters into his own hands, picking off the pass and driving the puck toward the Carolina net.

The entirety of Edmonton held their breath.

“HE SCORES! A short-handed goal for Pisani and the Edmonton Oilers are out of the box, (they’ve) come out on the ice, and they are celebrating a huge win here tonight,” play-by-play announcer Bob Cole exuberated.

“Can you believe it?!”

Pisani kept the Oilers in the run for their chance at the Stanley Cup and became recognizable by Oilers fans for that reason. He scored a total of 14 goals and 18 points during the playoffs; five of those goals were game-winners. He joined Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Craig Simpson, Mark Messier, and Glenn Anderson as the sixth player in franchise history to score 14 or more goals during the playoffs.

The Oilers, unfortunately, lost in a heartbreaking game seven five days later. Still, their Cinderella story would live on as a part of history.

Aleena Aksenchuk is an intern with Oilersnation and the Nation Network. She can be found on Twitter at @A_Aksenchuk8.