Miracle on Manchester
Encyclopedia
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) playoff game between the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
that took place on April 10, 1982 in the league's 65th season. The game, the third in a best-of-five postseason series, was played at The Forum
The Forum (Inglewood, California)
The Forum is an indoor arena, in Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. From 2000 to 2010, it was owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which occasionally used it for church services, while also leasing the building for sporting events, concerts and other events.Along with Madison...
, the Kings' home arena at the time, which was situated on Manchester Boulevard (hence the nickname) in the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
suburb of Inglewood
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
The Kings completed the largest comeback in NHL playoff history, going from being down 5-0 to win the game 6-5 in overtime. Combined with upset wins in Games 1 and 5, the Kings eliminated the heavily favored Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
-led Oilers in a 3-2 series victory to reach the second round.
Background
The contest was the third in a five-game first-round playoff series between the Kings and Oilers. Under the playoff structure that existed at the time, the top four teams from each division qualified for the playoffs, with the first seed facing the fourth seed and the second and third seeds pairing off in the first round. In 1981–82, Edmonton easily won the division with 111 points, while Los Angeles finished in fourth place, 48 points behind.Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers, in only their third season in the NHL, had a dominant season. Under the leadership of head coachHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
and general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Glen Sather
Glen Sather
Glen Cameron "Slats" Sather is the President and general manager of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He has also served as the head coach of the Rangers, as well as General Manager and coach of the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association and later NHL...
, they finished first in the Clarence Campbell Conference and second best in the league after the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The Oilers won the Smythe Division
Smythe Division
The NHL's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Conn Smythe. It is the fore-runner of the NHL's Northwest Division and NHL's Pacific Division....
with a record of 48 wins, 17 losses, and 15 ties for a total of 111 points, 34 points ahead of the second-place Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. The Oilers, the only squad in the division to post a winning record, were the most potent offensive team in the NHL that year. They set an NHL record by scoring 417 goals, 32 more than any other team in 1981–82. The Oilers also had a very capable defense, allowing only 295 goals, 26 fewer than the NHL average.
The Edmonton club included many young stars – forwards
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
, Jari Kurri
Jari Kurri
Jari Pekka Kurri is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey right winger and a five-time Stanley Cup champion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He is currently the general manager of Team Finland....
, and Glenn Anderson
Glenn Anderson
Glenn Christopher Anderson is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger in the National Hockey League who played for the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues...
; defensemen Paul Coffey
Paul Coffey
Paul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th...
and Kevin Lowe
Kevin Lowe
Kevin Hugh Lowe is a retired defenceman and coach in the National Hockey League and the current President of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers. As a defenceman, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers....
; and goaltenders Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
and Andy Moog
Andy Moog
Donald Andrew Moog is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently the goaltending coach for the NHL's Dallas Stars.Moog was previously the Dallas Stars' assistant coach...
. However, the biggest star on the Oilers team and in the entire league was 21-year-old Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, whose offensive supremacy broke existing NHL records by considerable margins. In 1981–82, Gretzky posting 92 goals, 120 assists, and 212 points, all league records, out-scoring his nearest rival for the scoring lead
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
, Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, by 65 points. Gretzky would win the Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
as the NHL’s most valuable player for the third consecutive season.
The Oilers’ offensive attack was led by Gretzky, Anderson (105 points), Coffey (89 points, leading all NHL defensemen), Messier (88 points), Kurri (86 points), and Dave Lumley
Dave Lumley
David E. "Lummer" Lumley is a former professional ice hockey player. His formative hockey skills were developed playing in the West Hill Minor and the Scarborough Hockey Associations...
(74 points). The defense was anchored by Lowe, team captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
Lee Fogolin
Lee Fogolin
Lee Joseph Fogolin , is a retired defenseman who played in the National Hockey League...
, Garry Lariviere
Garry Lariviere
Garry Lariviere is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Lariviere started his National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques in 1979. He also played for the Edmonton Oilers. He left the NHL after the 1983 season. He played 3 more years in the AHL for the St...
, Doug Hicks
Doug Hicks
Douglas Allan Hicks was a professional ice hockey defenceman who had a reputation as an "iron man" early in his NHL career, missing only one game his first three seasons in the league with the Minnesota North Stars...
, and Charlie Huddy
Charlie Huddy
Charles William Huddy is a former NHL defenceman and current assistant coach of the Winnipeg Jets. He is also one of only seven Edmonton Oilers to be a member of all 5 of the franchise's Stanley Cup-winning teams 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988,1990.His greatest success came with the Oilers with whom he...
. In the net, Edmonton featured the goalie tandem of Fuhr and Moog; starter Fuhr was one of four Oilers on the Campbell Conference All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
team, while backup Moog was also a future All-Star player.
The Oilers were a predominantly young team. They were boisterous, brash, and often undisciplined. Edmonton was one of the first teams to employ a wide-open, free-flowing style of hockey that emphasized speed and creativity, but it was also a scheme that produced a certain number of turnovers and errors. Going into the playoffs, the Oilers were the overwhelming favorites to represent the Campbell Conference in the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Final, and were expected to provide a strong challenge to the two-time defending Cup champion Islanders. Gretzky's Oilers were receiving more attention than Bossy's Islanders in the media.
Los Angeles Kings
For the Kings, the 1981–82 season was a disappointing struggle. After an impressive 99-point season in 1980–81, they suffered through one of the worst one-year declines in NHL history, plummeting down to just 63 points (24 wins, 41 losses, and 13 ties) in 1981–82. The team's fall precipitated a coaching change, as Don PerryDon Perry
Don Perry , is a former Canadian ice hockey player and coach. Perry was head coach of the Los Angeles Kings from 1981 to 1984...
replaced Parker MacDonald
Parker MacDonald
Calvin Parker MacDonald was a professional ice hockey left winger who played for a number of NHL teams in his 18 year career. He later coached the Minnesota North Stars and the Los Angeles Kings.-Playing career:...
on January 11, 1982. Of the 16 playoff qualifiers in the NHL, Los Angeles had the poorest record. The Kings' total of 314 goals was lower than the league average of 321; they also allowed 369 goals, more than all but two teams in the NHL in 1981–82.
The Kings were led offensively by the 30-year-old Marcel Dionne
Marcel Dionne
Marcel Elphege "Little Beaver" Dionne is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers...
, who scored 50 goals and 67 assists, good for 117 points and eighth in the NHL in scoring. Dave Taylor, Dionne's right winger on the Triple Crown Line as well as the Kings' sole representative in the All-Star Game, was second on the team with 106 points. Dionne's usual left winger, Charlie Simmer
Charlie Simmer
Charles Robert Simmer is a retired ice hockey forward, most notably for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League, who was notable for his scoring and power play prowess.-Playing career:...
, missed 30 games due to injury and tallied only 39 points during regular season play. Other offensive notables for the Kings included forward Jim Fox (68 points) and rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
forward Steve Bozek
Steve Bozek
Steven Michael Bozek is a retired professional ice hockey left wing who spent 11 seasons in the NHL with four clubs...
(56 points), as well as defenseman Larry Murphy (66 points). This youthful presence in the Los Angeles lineup was further solidified by forwards Bernie Nicholls
Bernie Nicholls
Bernard Irvine Nicholls is a former professional ice hockey centre. His junior career was spent with the Kingston Canadians, where he established himself as a dynamic scorer and a multi-faceted talent. He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, 73rd...
(32 points in only 22 games), Doug Smith (30 points as an 18-year-old), and Daryl Evans
Daryl Evans
Daryl Thomas Evans is a retired Canadian ice hockey player.Drafted in 1980 by the Los Angeles Kings, Evans also played for the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs....
(8 points in 14 games).
The high number of goals scored against the Kings was in part a reflection of an outmoded defensive mentality. The 1980s were a decade that witnessed an increasingly speedy game, one which seemed unstoppable to the Kings' old, rangy, "stay-at-home" blueliners of the 1970s. In addition, Los Angeles' goaltending suffered a decline; starting goaltender Mario Lessard
Mario Lessard
Mario Lessard is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender.Lessard started his National Hockey League career with the Los Angeles Kings in 1978. He would play his entire NHL career with the Kings. He retired after the 1984 season. Lessard was a NHL Second Team All-Star in 1981...
, an All-Star in 1980–81, went from allowing 3.25 goals per game to 4.36 per game, one of the worst figures in the league. Backup goaltender Doug Keans
Doug Keans
Douglas Frederick Keans is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender who enjoyed a 9-year career in the National Hockey League during the 1980s, suiting up for the Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins....
fared little better, at 4.30 goals allowed per game.
The Kings were expected to be easy prey for the Oilers in the first round, as their weaknesses in goal and slow defense were seen as offering little resistance to the Oilers' speed and scoring prowess. During the 1981–82 regular season, the Kings and Oilers met eight times, with Edmonton winning five of those matchups, losing only once, and tying the other two. The Oilers outscored the Kings in the eight games, 51 goals to 27. Two of the five Oiler wins were by lopsided margins of 11-4 and 10-3; both of those games were played in Edmonton.
Historically, the Kings had been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the preceding four playoff seasons, winning just two out of 14 post-season matchups.
Games 1 and 2
The series began in Edmonton's Northlands ColiseumRexall Place
Rexall Place is an indoor arena in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada situated on the north side of Northlands. It is currently the home to the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League, the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League and the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL...
, where the Oilers had a record of 31-5-4 during the regular season. Combining that mark with the Kings' season road record of 5-26-9 formed an expectation of the Oilers taking the first two games.
Before the series, Los Angeles coach Don Perry elected to utilize his team's youth and offensive speed to try to simply outscore the Oilers rather than shut them down, as the latter strategy proved futile for the Kings and most other NHL teams over the regular season. As a result, the first game saw the two teams combine for 18 goals, a level of scoring never before seen in the NHL playoffs. Simmer scored at 14 minutes and 58 seconds into the third period to put Los Angeles into the lead for good, and the Kings started off with a 10-8 victory. The 18 goals is still a record for most goals scored in a Stanley Cup Playoff game.
Game 2 was a low-scoring, more traditional style of game, as the Kings and Oilers were tied 2-2 after regulation time had expired. In the first overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
period, Gretzky took possession of the puck after it was sent around the boards in the Kings' zone, then cradled the puck for a couple of seconds, faked a pass, and took a shot from 40 feet out that went through a screen and past Lessard into the Kings' net at 6:20 of overtime. The 3-2 victory for Edmonton tied the series at one game apiece.
Game 3, the "Miracle" Game
The series shifted to the Forum, where the Kings were 19-15-6 during the regular season. Edmonton's season road record was 17-12-11.First period
The Kings' fans were enthusiastic at the start of the game, but as in Game 2, the Oilers struck first. The Kings had just finished killing a penalty to Dave Taylor when Kings forward Dan BonarDan Bonar
Daniel Gordon Bonar is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 170 games in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings.-Awards and achievements:...
jumped on a loose puck in the Oiler zone and took a shot on goal. Fuhr made the save, and the Oilers counterattacked. A pass found Messier on the left wing, and he took a slap shot from about 25 feet out that went off Lessard's glove and into the net to give Edmonton a 1-0 lead.
While on the power play near the end of the first period, the Kings made another offensive rush at Fuhr, with Dionne taking a centering pass and sending a wrist shot toward the Oiler net. Fuhr made the save, and the rebound went to Gretzky. Gretzky then proceeded to carry the puck from his own end to the Kings' end, skating down the middle of the ice and in alone on two Kings, Korab and Evans. Gretzky faked to the outside and then shifted quickly back inside, bypassing Korab. Gretzky then skated toward the left side, where rookie Evans was holding his position but conceding space to Gretzky. Gretzky saw enough room for an opportunity to shoot, but had his stick lifted from behind by Simmer, who was backchecking. Nevertheless, Gretzky was able to get his stick back down to ice level long enough to fire a sharp-angled shot that beat Lessard on the short side for a short-handed goal to put the Oilers up 2-0.
Second period
As the second period started, the Kings were still on the power play, but the Oilers were able to mount another rush. Gretzky took the puck in the Oiler zone, skated through center ice and passed to Fogolin. Fogolin skated down the wing and sent a seemingly harmless snap shot toward Lessard. The Kings' goaltender misplayed the sharp angle of the shot, and it went by him on the short side. The Oilers had scored two short-handed goals on the same Kings' power play, and had taken control of the game with a 3-0 lead.Later in the second period, both teams were playing with three skaters per side due to penalties. The Oilers' defenseman Risto Siltanen
Risto Siltanen
Risto Siltanen is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. He played 8 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, and Quebec Nordiques.- Career statistics :...
skated the puck through center ice and into the Kings' zone. The Oilers maintained control with sharp passing, but after an Oiler shot went wide of the net, the Kings' defender Mark Hardy appeared to have control of the puck. Gretzky swooped in behind the net and deftly stole the puck away. He then sent a quick pass over to Siltanen who one-timed a shot toward the net that seemed to zoom past Lessard into the net; it ricocheted against the end boards and around to the left side of the Kings' zone. The goal light was turned on by the goal judge, so play was stopped as the referees convened. It was determined that Siltanen's shot went through the net, and replays later confirmed it. The Oilers had increased their lead to 4-0.
The Oilers were on the power play, with four skaters against the Kings' three, when they went on the attack again. The Oilers obtained possession in the Kings' zone at the face-off, and as they had on their fourth goal, kept possession while moving the puck. The Oilers kept the puck on the outside until they saw an opening. Anderson took a pass to the right of the Kings' net and saw Gretzky sneak in behind Lessard and Kings' defenseman Rick Chartraw
Rick Chartraw
Raymond Richard Chartraw is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 420 games in the National Hockey League between 1974 and 1984...
at the left side of the goal crease. Anderson sent a hard pass that went through Chartraw's legs and onto the stick of Gretzky, and all he had to do was deflect the puck into the net to give the Oilers a power play goal and a seemingly insurmountable 5-0 lead, and the score stayed that way as the second period came to a close.
The Forum crowd had quieted considerably as the game turned into a rout. Dave Lewis and Wayne Gretzky confirmed in later interviews that the Oiler players were laughing at and mocking the Kings in the second period while the Kings were trying to set up offense on the power play. The Kings went into the locker room during the second intermission obviously chagrined, but convinced that the Oilers would continue to play wide-open instead of sitting back defensively to protect their lead. Dionne later said that the Kings' prime focus would be on "little things" in the third period; trying to make one play at a time to gradually make an attempt to get back into the game but more importantly, salvage some pride and send a message for Game 4.
Third period
Early in the third period, with both teams at four skaters per side, the Kings gained possession of the puck in the neutral zone and tried an attack on the Oiler net. The Kings had a two-on-one with Dionne and Larry Murphy, but Dionne's setup pass was missed by Murphy, and the puck went toward the right wing boards. The Kings were able to regain control the puck, and tried to set up another attack in the Oiler zone, when Dionne again obtained possession of the puck at the right point. Dionne sent a pass toward the left wing, where the puck ricocheted softly off of the boards and on to the stick of Jay WellsJay Wells
Gordon Jay Wells is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was nicknamed "The Hammer" for his tough, physical play.-Playing career:...
. Wells skated in from the left point, noticed Taylor was obstructing the sight line of Oiler goalie Fuhr, and took a shot from 30 feet out that went through the legs of Taylor and into the right side of the net past Fuhr at 2:46 to put the Kings on the scoreboard. The score now stood at 5-1.
Less than three minutes later, the Kings went on another power play as the Oilers got another penalty. The Kings won the face-off, and sent the puck back to Hardy, who threw a shot at the net from the left point. Fuhr made the save, but the rebound went directly in front of the net, toward Oiler defenseman Kevin Lowe. Lowe tried to quickly gain possession of the puck and clear it out of danger, but the puck was caught between his skates, and Lowe couldn't spot it. Kings' forward Doug Smith saw the puck, however; Smith quickly stepped toward Lowe, reached between the defender's skates, and took a shot that went directly under the crossbar and into the Oiler net. It was a power play goal, and the Kings had narrowed the gap to 5-2.
Both teams were again playing at four skaters per side when the Oilers went to gain possession of the puck behind their own net. The attempted Oiler clearing pass, however, was intercepted on the right wing by Kings' forward Dean Hopkins
Dean Hopkins
Dean Hopkins is a retired professional ice hockey forward.-Playing career:Dean Hopkins started off his junior career with the 1974–75 Owen Sound Greys of the Mid-Ontario Junior B Hockey League. Afterwards played with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights from 1975 until 1979...
, who took a stride forward and passed to Charlie Simmer. Simmer skated around an Oiler defender, then cut back toward the net. While falling down, Simmer tried to jam the puck into the right side of the net, but Fuhr's left foot blocked the puck. Oiler defenseman Randy Gregg, skating into the play, trying to use his stick to tie up the stick of Simmer, but he inavertedly hit Fuhr's leg. Fuhr was knocked back enough to allow the puck to slide over the goal line, and the goal brought the Kings to within two, at 5-3. This was the goal that really got the crowd back into the game and made the Kings believe they could actually pull the game out.
With only five minutes to play, veteran Oilers forward Garry Unger
Garry Unger
Garry Douglas "Iron Man" Unger is a former professional ice hockey centre who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1967 until 1983.- Playing career :...
– who had played the previous season with the Kings – brought his stick blade up into the face of Dave Lewis behind the Kings' net. Lewis' face was cut, so Unger was assessed an automatic five-minute major penalty for high sticking
High-Sticking
High-sticking is the name of two infractions in the sport of ice hockey that may occur when a player intentionally or inadvertently plays with his or her stick above the height of the shoulders or above the cross bar of a hockey goal. This can result in a stoppage of play or in a penalty...
. Since Lewis was also penalized two minutes for roughing
Roughing
Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense such as:* A player striking another opponent...
in the ensuing moments following the high stick, both teams would be four skaters per side for two minutes. After the two minutes were up, the Kings would have the last three minutes with a man advantage, as the major to Unger would still be running.
During the four-on-four situation, Kings forward Steve Bozek gained possession of the puck at center ice. Bozek skated into the Oiler zone on the left wing, then quickly moved to his right, toward the center. He then dropped a pass back to Hardy, who was behind Bozek and skating the opposite way (toward the left wing). The criss-cross put the Oilers out of position for a split second, and Hardy used the small window of time to cut in past Gretzky and take a wrist shot back against the grain, toward the right side of the net. Fuhr, surprised at the quick shot, tried to slide to his left to keep the puck out, but he was unsuccessful. The puck was in the net, the Kings' crowd went wild, and the Kings were now trailing 5-4.
Soon after the Hardy goal, the Kings' three-minute power play began. There was an anxious moment for the Kings, as Oiler forward Pat Hughes
Pat Hughes (ice hockey)
Patrick James Hughes is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.After playing college hockey at the University of Michigan, Hughes started his National Hockey League career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1978. He would also play for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Buffalo Sabres, St....
gained a loose puck at center ice and had a clean breakaway
Breakaway (ice hockey)
A breakaway is a situation in ice hockey in which a player with the puck has no defending players, except for the goaltender, between himself and the opposing goal, leaving him free to skate in and shoot at will . A breakaway is considered a lapse on the part of the defending team...
. Hughes skated in alone on King goalie Lessard and took a low shot, but Lessard was able to block it. There was a small rebound for Hughes, but by the time Hughes regained the puck, he was too close to Lessard and didn't have time to shoot. All Hughes could do was knock the puck into Lessard's waiting glove, and Lessard covered the puck to stop play.
The Kings had trouble setting up the puck in the Oiler zone on the major power play, and game time was dwindling away. When play was stopped with 1:37 left, Perry changed goaltenders for the Kings, bringing on Doug Keans to replace Lessard. Under the rules in effect at the time, the game was suspended for several minutes while Keans took practice shots from his teammates, giving the power-play unit time to rest. At the next whistle with 1:14 remaining, Lessard returned to the net (without a warmup). Finally, with a minute left, the Kings pulled Lessard for an extra attacker to essentially give them a two-skater advantage over the Oilers. With forty-five seconds to go, Dionne gained clear possession of the puck to the right of the Oiler net. Dionne stickhandled for 20 to 25 seconds, desperately looking for an open lane to pass or shoot. At last, Dionne sent the puck to Simmer and headed to the front of the net. Simmer sent Dionne a return pass, and Dionne took a quick wrist shot on net, but the shot was kicked aside by Fuhr. The rebound slid over to the right-wing boards, where Gretzky tried to gain control of it. Jim Fox quickly moved in to harass Gretzky, frantically waving his stick along the ice to knock the puck away, and moving his body between Gretzky and the puck to gain control.
In the last ten seconds, Fox sent the puck back to Hardy, who was farther away from the net, but was positioned in the center of the Oiler zone. Hardy took the pass and sent a low shot toward the net. Fuhr managed to make the save, but could not control the rebound, and the puck squirted out in front of the net. The Oilers were doing their best to contain the dangerous Dionne, and they kept him away from the loose puck. Unfortunately for the Oilers, Kings' left wing Bozek had drifted from his normal position and was moving toward the front of the net. The Oilers, being two men short, were not positioned to defend Bozek, and watched in horror as the puck slid perfectly toward the King rookie's stick. Bozek immediately took a quick backhanded shot toward the net. Fuhr did not have enough time to react and adjust his position for Bozek's shot, and was helpless as the puck sailed between his pads and into the net. With only five seconds to go, the Kings had completed a historic comeback. The game was tied, 5-5.
The Kings' crowd was electrified at the scoring of the tying goal; the roar from the stands would continue for several minutes. The Kings on the ice formed a joyous group around Bozek, all of them tired, but ecstatic. The Oiler players on the ice, by contrast, were in disbelief, and lying down on the ice. Goaltender Fuhr had dropped to one knee and hung his head in disappointment. All that was left of regulation time was a faceoff at center ice. The last five seconds quickly elapsed, and the teams headed to their respective locker rooms to prepare for their second consecutive overtime game.
Overtime
In overtime, the Kings almost met with immediate disaster. A bouncing puck was shot in from center ice toward Kings' goalie Lessard, and he had trouble handling it cleanly. The puck began to slide out in front of the Kings' net. Lessard, fearing that the Oilers would regain possession of the puck, decided to leave his goal crease and chase the puck down. He went into a slide, but in doing so, he collided with Oiler Glen Anderson about 40 feet in front of the Kings' net and the puck moved even farther out of his reach. By this time, Mark Messier had skated into the Kings' zone and took the puck on his backhand. With Lessard out of the net, Messier had an opportunity to score the winning goal into the open net. The Kings' Mark Hardy scrambled to get in front of the net as Messier unleashed a backhand shot. Unfortunately for Messier, the puck rolled off the end of his stick blade, and the shot sailed harmlessly to the right of the Kings' net. The Kings covered the puck behind their own net. Lessard had quickly skated back to his net as the Kings were covering the puck, and he leaned on the crossbar with his head down.Later in the overtime period, the Kings had a scoring chance, as Doug Smith entered the Oiler zone with an open lane on the right wing. He took a hard shot, but Fuhr was in perfect position to catch the puck with his glove. He caught and controlled the puck long enough for play to be stopped. The ensuing face-off to restart play would take place in the Oiler zone to Fuhr's left. Kings' Head Coach Don Perry sent out an all-rookie forward line for the face-off: Bozek on left wing, Smith at center, and Daryl Evans on right wing. Smith won the face-off from Messier, gently drawing the puck back. As the puck slid back, Evans skated in behind Smith and immediately started swinging his stick back and took a slap shot. The shot swiftly headed toward the upper portion of the Oiler net. Fuhr brought his glove up to make the save, but the shot was moving too fast, and Fuhr was a fraction of a second too late. The puck went into the net at two minutes and 35 seconds of overtime, winning the game for the Kings, 6-5.
The Forum crowd erupted with a deafening roar. Evans excitedly skated as fast as he could toward the other side of the rink
Rink
Rink may refer to:* Ice rink, used for ice skating* Ice hockey rink*Curling rink, used to refer to both a curling team and the playing surface*a roller rink, used for roller skating or roller hockey...
, pausing only to jump in celebration. The rest of the Kings skated toward Evans and mobbed him near the boards behind the Kings' net. A joyous pile of gold and purple jerseys formed as the Kings celebrated with embraces, high-fives, and hollering. After a couple of minutes, the Kings' coaches and staff stepped onto the ice to join them. The Oilers quickly made their way off the ice, forming a quiet line along the left side of the ice.
Games 4 and 5
There was still one more game to be played in the Forum: Game 4. Once again, the game was close. The Oilers took a 3-1 lead at 14:44 of the second period when Glenn Anderson scored. Despite a third period goal by the Kings' Mike Murphy, the Oilers held on to defeat the Kings, 3-2, and send the series back to Edmonton for Game 5. In a rare occurrence, both teams had to board the same plane heading back to Edmonton (charter flights were not the norm back then for NHL teams). The Oilers were seated in the back and the Kings sat in the front.Back on home ice for Game 5, the Oilers again appeared to have the advantage. But the Kings, realizing that they had matched Edmonton goal-for-goal thus far in the series, were confident and loose as the game got underway. The Los Angeles team forged ahead 2-0, with both goals being scored by Simmer. The Kings' second-year forward Dan Bonar
Dan Bonar
Daniel Gordon Bonar is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 170 games in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings.-Awards and achievements:...
, the forward chosen to check Wayne Gretzky, chipped in with two goals of his own. The stunned Edmonton fans looked on as two King rookies grabbed the spotlight: new playoff hero Daryl Evans, who scored a pair of goals, and Bernie Nicholls, who scored at 6:49 of the second period to put the Kings in front to stay. The Kings won by a score of 7-4. The first place Oilers had been eliminated from the playoffs.
A total of 50 goals were scored by both teams in the five-game series, a new NHL record. The Kings also set a record for most goals by one team in a five-game series, with 27. Other NHL records that fell included the most goals by both teams in one game (18, in Game 1) and the biggest series upset in the Stanley Cup playoffs, as the Kings had finished 48 points behind Edmonton in the regular season.
Aftermath
Despite the major upset against the Oilers, the Kings were eliminated in the next round by the Vancouver CanucksVancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
, 4 games to 1, who went all the way to the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals
1982 Stanley Cup Finals
-References:...
, where they were swept by the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in four games.
In the 1982–83 NHL season, the Oilers learned from their prior mistakes and ended up competing in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Islanders, but were swept in four games. The Oilers won the Stanley Cup in four of the next five seasons in 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988; they won one more in 1990.
The "Miracle on Manchester" would prove to be The Kings' only bright spot during the mid 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
. The next two seasons continued the losing record trend that began in 1981 as they missed the playoffs completely. They met the Oilers in the playoffs again in 1985 and 1987, but this time the Kings were easily defeated. It wasn't until Wayne Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles for 1988-89 that the franchise turned around, as Gretzky led the Kings to an upset of the defending champions Oilers in 1989 after a 1-3 deficit. The Kings suffered second round eliminations in the playoffs to the Oilers in 1990 and 1991 while losing in the first round in 1992. In 1993, the Oilers failed to make the playoffs, while the Kings made their only Stanley Cup Finals appearance in franchise history where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.