Top 20 Cup Final games since 2000: No. 12

As the NHL prepares for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL.com staff selected the top 20 Stanley Cup Final games since 2000. Our 15-writer panel nominated 44 games for consideration before each member voted for his or her favorite 20 from that list. Each favorite game was awarded 20 points, with the selections that followed receiving one fewer point each and so on, down to one point for each 20th-favorite game. Today, we look at Game 3 of the 2002 Final between the Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes, which was on 13 ballots and received 116 points.

2002 Game 3: Detroit Red Wings 3, Carolina Hurricanes 2 (3OT)

Igor Larionov ended an unforgettable first Stanley Cup Final game in Carolina when he scored at 14:47 of the third overtime to give the Red Wings the win in the third-longest game in Final history.
The veteran forward gathered a loose puck just inside the Hurricanes blue line and skated around a sprawling Bates Battaglia before cutting across the slot and beating goalie Arturs Irbe (50 saves), who was screened by Red Wings defenseman Mathieu Dandenault, with a backhand shot for his second goal of the game.
The Hurricanes held a lead late in the third period with a chance to go ahead 2-1 in the best-of-7 series, but Red Wings forward Brett Hull scored on a redirection of a shot from defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom at the top of the crease to tie it 2-2 with 1:14 remaining in regulation.
Josef Vasicek gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 14:49 of the first period before Larionov tied it 1-1 at 5:33 of the second period following a turnover by Carolina behind its own net.
Jeff O'Neill then put Carolina ahead 2-1 when he beat Dominik Hasek (41 saves) at 7:34 of the third period, but more than two hours after Hull tied it late in the third period, Larionov scored his first, and only, overtime goal in 150 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Detroit would go on to win the next two games by a combined score of 6-1 to win the Stanley Cup for the third time in six seasons.

They said it: "It's the first finals for the organization and first home game. They came off a big win in Game 1 (3-2 in overtime) and there's a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of energy. I think it's great." -- Red Wings forward Brett Hull on the atmosphere at Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena
Historical significance:Ten members of the Hockey Hall of Fame played in this game. Ron Francis played for the Hurricanes while Hull, Lidstrom, Hasek, Larionov, Chris Chelios, Luc Robitaille, Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov and Steve Yzerman played for the Red Wings. Scotty Bowman, Detroit's coach, was also inducted into the Hall of Fame as a builder.
Eight players for the Hurricanes were also on the roster when Carolina won its first Cup four years later in 2006: Craig Adams, Rod Brind'Amour (who is now the Hurricanes coach), Erik Cole, Bret Hedican, Vasicek, Niclas Wallin, Aaron Ward, and Glen Wesley.
Iconic moment: Hull's tying goal following a face-off win by Yzerman against Brind'Amour. During the tie-up, Yzerman was able to get the puck back to Fedorov, who took a hit along the right boards and sent a pass to Lidstrom, whose wrist shot from the left point was redirected in front by Hull. Irbe would protest the goal while the Red Wings celebrated.
Telling stat: Lidstrom led all players with 52:03 of ice time. He took 61 shifts, had four shots and an assist.