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What if…: Steve Smith had not scored in his own net in Game 7?
FACTS: The date is April 14, 1960. The Montreal Canadiens have just swept the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup finals, winning the trophy for an unprecedented fifth year in a row. The record would not come under serious threat until the New York Islanders string off an incredible four consecutive cup victories from 1980 to 1983. Standing in the way of their quest to equal the Canadiens 5 in a row benchmark are the upstart Edmonton Oilers, and team loaded with phenomenal young talent such as Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr, Jari Kurri, Kevin Lowe, Craig MacTavish and Paul Coffey among others. The Islanders made short work of Edmonton during the 1983 finals, sweeping them in four straight and outscoring them 17 to 6 across the four games. Now seeking their fifth straight cup the Isles lined up against a more mature and experienced Edmonton team, seeking revenge for their sweep the previous year.
As history shows it was the sun setting on the Islanders dynasty and sunrise on the potential for the Oilers to achieve the same, with Edmonton defeating the Islanders in five games, winning their first Stanley Cup Championship. Given Edmonton’s incredible roster, spearheaded by the “Great One” himself, there were rumblings that if any team were to match, or potentially challenge the Canadiens record it would be the Oilers. They did much to support this belief the following season, repeating as cup champions by defeating the Flyers in the 1985 finals in another five game series.
The 1985-86 season began with expectations of nothing less than what the previous two seasons had produced for the team, and the Oilers did nothing to temper these expectations. The team won the President’s Trophy with a league high 119 points, 30 points ahead Calgary who were second in Edmonton’s division with 89 points. Wayne Gretzky set a new NHL record for points and assists with 215 and 163, respectively, while also winning his sixth Art Ross trophy and seventh Hart trophy. Jari Kurri scored a team high 68 goals, and finished the year with 131 points. Paul Coffey broke the NHL record for goal scoring and points by a defenseman, previously held by some guy named Bobby Orr, with 48 goals and 138 points, winning his second Norris trophy in the process. Other scoring support came via Glenn Anderson with 54 goals (and 102 points) and Mark Messier with 35 goals (and 84 points). Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog split time in net and combine for a 56-17-7 record over the course of the season.
Yes, heading into the playoffs there was nothing to suggest that the Oilers were anything but the favourites to win it all for a third consecutive year. A sweep of the Vancouver Canucks in the first round had the team riding high into the second round to face divisional rivals Calgary whom they had dealt with relatively easily in the regular season with a record of six wins, one loss and a tie. But as the Oillers were about to discover, this was not the Flames team of the regular season! Calgary came out strong in Game 1, taking a first game victory with a score of 4 to 1. Edmonton bounced back in Game 2, defeating Calgary in a close 6-5 match, only for Calgary to return the favour two nights later with a 3-2 win in Game 3. Edmonton came back with a classic Oilers blowout in Game 4, shelling Mike Vernon in a 7-4 win. Calgary came back in that “never say die” manner in Game 5 though, pulling out a 4-1 road win in the “City of Champions”. Facing elimination, Edmonton pulled off a road win of their own, beating Calgary 5-2 in Game 6 and forcing a Game 7.
April 30, 1986. It was all on the line. The teams had gone back and forth for almost two weeks, trading wins at home and on the road. Calgary’s David to Edmonton’s Goliath. Playoff lives hinged on one game, and through the first 40 minutes the game was exactly what it should have been: tough, grinding hockey, players leaving it all on the ice, momentum gained only to be taken back again. The home crowd in Edmonton were on the edge of their seats. Both teams playing their hearts out, showing everyone watching why they felt they were the best on the ice that night. Both teams believed this to their core, and the score at the end of two periods made it hard to argue with either team in this regard: they were knotted at 2 goals apiece. Then someone gave themselves a birthday to forget...
Born on April 30, 1963, James Stephen Smith, better known as Steve Smith, was a 6th round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 1981. Steve began play in the NHL during the 1985-86 season and built a career as a solid defenseman, highly regarded around the league. Unfortunately for him, it is the night of his 23rd birthday that people will remember him for. After putting together a solid rookie season with the Oilers in 55 games (4 goals, 24 pts, 166 PIM, +30), Smith would see action in six playoff games. It was the sixth that would follow him for the rest of his career. With approximately 15:00 remaining in the third period, score tied at 2-2, Calgary’s Perry Berezan fired the puck into Edmonton’s zone. Fuhr stopped it along the back boards and Smith barrelled in to retrieve it. Looking to set his team about breaking out of their zone, from his spot to the rear left of the net he spots a teammate heading up the right side of the ice and proceeds to launch a breakout pass when the unthinkable happens...
Need anything else be said? Down 3-2 and having the wind knocked out of their sails on one of the most heartbreaking events of a hard fought series, Edmonton didn’t recover, losing the game, and the series, to their provincial rivals. The Canadiens record stood.
Fast-forward to the 1987 and 1988 finals and what do we see? Edmonton Cup wins. Had 1986 gone differently would we have seen Montreal’s record matched? I’ll leave that to you by simply asking:
WHAT IF #7: Steve Smith had not scored in his own net in Game 7?
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