'87 Cup Final

[BraveCanadian]

Simple question here.. if Tim Kerr is able to play, do the Flyers win?

Personally, I think that in a series that close, he could have made it even more interesting.

As an aside, I remember cheering for the Flyers so hard because back when I was younger I thought the Oilers were cocky hotdogs and I wanted the Flyers to knock them off their perch.

Was a great great series.

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[shazariahl]

Hard to say. On paper the Oilers should have won that series with or without Kerr. But the Flyers had a way of playing beyond their supposed limits. If so, it would still have been a pretty large upset. I think the Oilers still take it, but who knows. You can never really anticipate just how large a factor one guy can be.

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

Not to hijack the thread - I don't think it's worth two threads, so hopefully we can discuss both mine and the OP's thought - but I've always wondered what outrage there would be from the Edmonton brass had Philadelphia won the series with Hextall in net. Hextall was suspended for eight games for playing lumberjack with Kent Nilsson's ankle in game four, but the suspension was deferred to the start of the following season, which I don't think has ever happened before, and I think is a worse decision than whatever Colin Campbell has come up with lately

I know I wouldn't be happy losing the cup to a goalie that should be suspended.

 

[Starchild74]

It doesn't matter if Tim Kerr plays or not. The Oilers still would have won. The flyers were lucky to extend it to game 7. The Oilers were the better team and credit has to go to the Flyers for extending it to game 7 but great teams find a way to win. I mean look at game 7. After the Flyers scored their first goal how many shots did they have after that. The Oilers in the 3rd period protecting a one goal lead did not allow the Flyers anything. I think in the 3rd if I am not mistaken the Oilers only allowed 2 shots

 

[Shadow Flyer]

It doesn't matter if Tim Kerr plays or not. The Oilers still would have won.

I'm a Flyers fan, but I have to agree. The Oilers were just a special team that would have found a way to win no matter who was playing for Philly. I'm just proud that the Flyers, who were dealing with quite a few major injuries at the time, were able to extend that series to 7 games.

As a sidenote, that was the first year I really followed the NHL seriously, and became such a big Hextall fan that hockey has been my favorite sport ever since.

That 1987 Flyers team is still my favorite of all time.

 

[Scott1980]

Never understood about Hextall not being suspended until the next season.

Anyone here think that the Oilers took the Flyers too lightly? Two years earlier they beat a Flyers team in five games, but all of them were close except for the last game. Plus the Flyers had some injuries in THAT series, too.

I think the Oilers looked at this series as, "We're in for what we got in 1985, which is a short series against the injured Flyers"

The thing I remember about that series is how many games the Flyers were behind and came back.

Game 3 (Remember they're down 2-0 in the series, this is a must win) they're down 3-0 and they come back, 5-3.

Game 5 (Now they're down 3-1, they gotta win three straight) they're down 2-0, and then 3-1, they come back and win 4-3.

Game 6, Oilers lead 2-0, and again the Flyers come back and win 3-2.

Actually, the Flyers got only 8 shots in the last two periods combined. I'm not surprised. I watched that game once, and the Oilers were all over the Flyers from the opening puck drop. If not for Hextall, that could have been the most one sided game 7!

 

[BraveCanadian]

Actually, the Flyers got only 8 shots in the last two periods combined. I'm not surprised. I watched that game once, and the Oilers were all over the Flyers from the opening puck drop. If not for Hextall, that could have been the most one sided game 7!

Hextall was very deserving of his Conn Smythe thats for sure.

It probably would have helped them to have their 50 goal scorer though.