The Answer:

NHL games can't end in a tie in the playoffs, so the teams have to keep playing until there is a winner. The longest game ever played was in Montreal on March 24, 1936. It was game one of the semifinal round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between Detroit and Montreal. It ended when Detroit's Mud Bruneteau scored the game's only goal in the sixth overtime period after 176 minutes and 30 seconds of game play.

Check out our chart of the Longest Playoff Overtime Games for more information.

—The Editors