The 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs were somewhat anomalous. The Edmonton Oilers, for their part, were on the war path. The Oilers were ousted in the 1986 playoffs on Steve Smith’s infamous own goal.
That situation opened the door for the Calgary Flames to advance and face the Montreal Canadiens in the final. The following season, the Oilers were determined to capture their third Stanley Cup in team history. The Oilers steamrolled through the regular season and the playoffs, landing in the Stanley Cup Final.
On the other side of the bracket, the Philadelphia Flyers were a gritty, upstart team led by a young goalie named Ron Hextall. Hextall was an unorthodox netminder who fought with the ferocity of a caged beast.
The Flyers made it to the 1987 Stanley Cup Final purely on the basis of blood and guts. So, they set a date with a dynasty. The Oilers, unsurprisingly, jumped out to a 2-0 series lead. But the warning signs were there.
Philly outshot the Oilers in Game 1, 31-26, and pushed Game 2 into overtime. The series shifted to the Philadelphia Spectrum for Games 3 and 4. The Flyers left the Spectrum down 3-1 and looked on the ropes.
Then, two incredible performances from Hextall himself tied the series. Hextall stole Games 5 and 6. It was his stellar performance that bought the Flyers just enough time to get back into the series.
That was evident in Game 6. With the Oilers up 2-1, Hextall kept the Flyers in the game long enough for a high-sticking penalty by Glenn Anderson to lead to Brian Propp’s game-tying marker.
J.J. Daigneault’s goal less than two minutes later set the Spectrum ablaze. The goal “shook the Spectrum to the core":
Daigneault’s goal set up an epic Game 7, arguably the greatest in NHL history.
Flyers-Oilers 1987 Game 7, one for the ages
The Flyers-Oilers Game 7 showdown in 1987 was one for the ages. It was the subject of an episode in Amazon’s Game 7 series. Watch this episode if you have the chance. It's worth the while. The episode chronicled how Game 7 of the 1987 Stanley Cup Final was anything but a run-of-the-mill do-or-die contest.
The images of the late Walter Gretzky biting off his fingernails were priceless. Hextall’s heroics were captured down to the gritty details.
Hextall made 40 saves that night. He kept the Flyers in the game. The determination that characterized the 1987 Philadelphia Flyers held them together despite Wayne Gretzky’s go-ahead goal in the second period.
The third period, Oilers’ dominance notwithstanding, saw the Flyers put forth one of the gutsiest performances in NHL history. In the end, it was not meant to be. The Oilers pulled out the win and landed their third Stanley Cup.
Meanwhile, Hextall won the Conn Smythe. It was an unusual distinction to be named playoff MVP while playing for the losing team. Still, Hextall’s dominance is remembered as one of the most amazing performances ever.
Here’s a look back:
All told, the Flyers nearly toppled a dynasty. The scrappy bunch from Broad Street nearly got revenge for its 1985 defeat. In spite of the loss, Ron Hextall bit off a chunk of NHL history just for himself.
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