5 most shocking Stanley Cup Final moments

On Monday, the 2017 Stanley Cup Final will kick off.

The Pittsburgh Penguins return to the dance, surprising very few on their quest for a Stanley Cup repeat. Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators will take part in their first finals after entering the playoffs as the 16-seed.

The Predators' rise has truly been the most shocking part of the 2017 playoffs. They swept the Western Conference's top seed, the Chicago Blackhawks, and upended the Pacific Division-winning Anaheim Ducks en route to a finals berth.

The Predators' run through the first three rounds has been nothing short of remarkable, and a victory over the Penguins would be the cherry on top. With that in mind, here is a sampling of some of the most shocking moments in Stanley Cup Final history:

McSorley's illegal stick

In 1993, after dropping the first game of the series, the Montreal Canadiens looked to be in deep trouble, with the Los Angeles Kings once again leading 2-1 with just minutes remaining in regulation.

It was then that the Canadiens took a major risk, calling for a stick measurement on Kings defenseman Marty McSorley. McSorley's curve was indeed deemed illegal, and after Canadiens goaltender Patrick Roy was pulled, Montreal took to the ice with a 6-on-4 advantage.

With the extra skaters, Eric Desjardins scored his second goal of the game to tie things at 2-2 heading to overtime. Desjardins would go on to score the game-winning goal less than a minute into overtime, completing the hat trick and evening the series at a game apiece.

Montreal would win the next three contests to take the Stanley Cup in five games. As fate would have it, no Canadian team has won the Cup since.

Kariya 'off the floor on the board'

The hit that Scott Stevens laid on Paul Kariya in Game 6 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final sent immediate panic to not just the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim - oh how we miss that name - but the entire NHL.

Midway through the second period, Kariya was knocked unconscious - on yet another brutal open-ice hit by Stevens, reminiscent of the one he laid on Eric Lindros - and had to be slowly helped off the ice and to the dressing room. It looked as though he was likely done for the series.

Eleven minutes later, though, he returned to the ice and immediately made an impact. Kariya wired an absolute rocket over the catching glove of Martin Brodeur to give the Mighty Ducks a 4-1 lead. The team would take Game 6 by a 5-2 margin thanks to Kariya's unbelievable comeback.

Unfortunately for the Mighty Ducks, the Devils would prevail in Game 7 to win the Cup.

Bob Baun scores on broken ankle

Before there was Kariya, there was Bob Baun.

In 1964, with the Toronto Maple Leafs facing elimination against the Detroit Red Wings, defenseman Bob Baun blocked a Gordie Howe shot and was forced to leave on a stretcher.

Surprisingly, Baun would return to the game, later scoring the overtime winner to force a Game 7. The Maple Leafs would emerge victorious, winning 4-0 - with Baun continuing to play through pain - capturing their third straight Stanley Cup.

What is so incredible about Baun's return is that that after the series, he learned that his ankle had indeed been fractured. #BecauseItsTheCup.

Brett Hull scores controversial Cup winner vs. Sabres

It's a goal that will go down in as arguably the most controversial in NHL history.

Game 6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup Final between the Dallas Stars and Buffalo Sabres saw both clubs go to triple overtime, with the Stars leading the series three games to two.

With just over five minutes remaining in the period, on a scramble in front of the Sabres' net, Brett Hull corralled the puck and stuffed it past Dominik Hasek, ending the game and giving the Stars their first and only Stanley Cup win.

However, many feel that the goal shouldn't have counted since Hull's foot was in the crease, and at the time, Rule 78-b stated: "...a player of the attacking side not possessing the puck may not stand in the goal crease." Of course, the argument on the play is what is considered having possession?

Nevertheless, the goal would stand, but for some, the debate continues.

Maple Leafs rally from 3-0 deficit to win Stanley Cup

The Maple Leafs entered the 1942 Stanley Cup Final as the overwhelming favorites after finishing the regular season with the second-best record to the New York Rangers.

However, in the finals, the Red Wings shocked the Maple Leafs, taking the first three games of the series and putting Toronto's Cup hopes on thin ice. But that's when things turned around.

The Maple Leafs won the next three games by a combined score of 16-6, before taking Game 7 at Maple Leaf Gardens by a 3-1 score - in front of a then Canadian record 16,218 people - to capture the team's first Stanley Cup in 10 years.

The win marked the first time a major professional sports team had rallied from a 3-0 series deficit to win a seven-game series.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)