Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
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Just watching the NFL network and their usual "Top 10" lists which I love and it got me thinking, what are hockey's most crushing defeats? I'll limit it to 5 with some honourable mentions. Here is the stipulation, it has to be broadly recognized as a crushing defeat. It can't just be regional. For example, the Leafs losing to the Kings in 1993 is crushing among Leafs fans but it would never crack a top 5 or maybe even 25. Think about this as if you are a neutral fan. International hockey is included in this. It has to be a big game, an important game with championship implications. It can result in a blown lead, a choke job, a monumental upset or even just a bad gaffe. So here we go, this is my list, flame away!
#1 Penguins losing to the Islanders in 1993 - This one just hurts, and even seeing the replay on the Volek overtime goal makes me wince, to this day. There was so much on the line this year that would have made a Penguins Cup win so sweet. Mario getting cancer but still winning the scoring title, the 17 wins in a row which is still a record, the best record in the NHL, the prospect of a three-peat. It would have been interesting to see just how the Penguins and even how much more we would have viewed Mario had they won. That whole series was just an example of how to NOT close a series. The Pens had their chances to put them away but didn't. Even in Game 7 that had a 45-20 difference in shots on goal for the Pens you could almost see things slipping away. Then the bad goals in that game. Barrasso wasn't sharp and there was a goal at the blueline to make it 3-1 Isles. But the Pens tied it late and you figured this was a lot like the 1982 Isles, winning two Cups in a row and making a strong comeback in a clinching game in order to win it in overtime. But no, it didn't work out that way. Mario had that point blank chance in overtime right in front of Healy and 9 times out of 10 the goalie blinks and flops around like a fish out of water once they realize it is Mario but this was one time where Mario actually may have had a little too much patience and didn't shoot it quick enough. Then the overtime goal on a bad line change for the Pens. To this day I don't know whose fault it was. It looks like Francis got off and someone needed to get on in his place. The Islander goal was scored more or less with 4 Pens on the ice. That's Martin Straka who was understandably out of place once he got on the ice trying to get to Volek. Ahh, too bad. But yeah, this is the NHL's #1 upset of all-time I think and is right there as the most crushing defeat.
#2 Oilers losing to Flames in 1986 - Again, this was a team who won two in a row and was poised to win a 3rd. Like the 1993 Pens they were the best team in the NHL that year by a decent margin. They couldn't shake the Flames all series though. Never had a lead the entire series. Had to play catch-up the whole time and win in Game 6 in Calgary. Then there was Game 7. The Oilers turned it on, they actually looked good in the 3rd period. Lots of chances, tons. Then Steve Smith's own goal off of Fuhr's leg. Man, you felt for the rookie. But the Oilers kept coming. Mike Vernon a couple of minutes later almost had the puck bank off his leg into the net on the same sort of play. The Oilers kept coming right up until the whistle. Honestly, the Flames hung on for dear life but regardless they won. But how crushing was that?
#3 1981 Canada Cup final - There was the 1979 Challenge Cup and that was embarrassing but you could at least point to the fact it wasn't a tournament and Team NHL had almost zero preparation time. Sure they wanted to win, but there was no training camp or anything. 1981 wasn't the case. We had a training camp and an entire tournament to figure out the bugs and then came up with the 8-1 egg against the Soviets. This was crushing though. It was a scary time for Canadian hockey. Were we no longer the best in the world? Was this the future? Lots of blame went around. Mike Liut, who deserved some of it, got the majority of it in Bill Buckner-like fashion (Buckner didn't even have the worst error in that inning in the 1986 World Series). People forget, Scotty Bowman was behind the Canadian bench for that game.
#4 Chicago loses to L.A. in 2014 - Maybe this one will look out of place to some, I don't know. I just thought there was so much on the line with this one and it was one of those series where a team lost, but you still almost feel as if they won. Probably because the winner was going to beat the Rangers regardless. But it was the Hawks trying to repeat and get three Cups in 5 years. They came back after a 3-1 series deficit, but coughed up a 2-0 Game 7 lead as well as a 4-3 third period lead to have it go to overtime. Then there was a partial breakaway with Brandon Saad that Jonathan Quick turned away. But then that overtime goal...........oh man, did it have to end that way? I think that is the reason it is so crushing. Such a soft wrister that goes off Nick Leddy and wobbles and lobs over a helpless Corey Crawford who couldn't react to the tip in time. Then it flutters in. The United Center was silent and I still remember Crawford just slouched over after the goal. It was heartbreaking, just one of those series where no one should have been the loser.
#5 Boston loses in "Too many men on the ice game" 1979 to Montreal - Sure the Habs were favoured, but this was just one of those games that everything was right there before it was taken away. Boston kept losing to Montreal, not just in the 1970s, but since World War II. Game 7 and the Bruins get a late goal to make it 4-3. Dryden actually didn't play particularly well in this game and if there was a time the cracks were showing for Montreal it was here. Then the too many men penalty. Then the pass from Lafleur to Lemaire (Don Cherry always swore he was offside) and the quick drop pass to Lafleur for a one-timer. Boom, tie game. In overtime I can't remember the Bruin player (O'Reilly) who had a glorious chance point blank in front of Dryden but it hit him in the logo and bounced out. Then the overtime goal by Yvon Lambert. Just crushing.
Honourable mentions:
1996 World Cup loss to the U.S.
2011 Canucks loss to Boston in the Cup final
1994 Canucks loss to Rangers in the Cup final
1996 Penguins loss to the Panthers
1990 Flames loss to the Kings
#1 Penguins losing to the Islanders in 1993 - This one just hurts, and even seeing the replay on the Volek overtime goal makes me wince, to this day. There was so much on the line this year that would have made a Penguins Cup win so sweet. Mario getting cancer but still winning the scoring title, the 17 wins in a row which is still a record, the best record in the NHL, the prospect of a three-peat. It would have been interesting to see just how the Penguins and even how much more we would have viewed Mario had they won. That whole series was just an example of how to NOT close a series. The Pens had their chances to put them away but didn't. Even in Game 7 that had a 45-20 difference in shots on goal for the Pens you could almost see things slipping away. Then the bad goals in that game. Barrasso wasn't sharp and there was a goal at the blueline to make it 3-1 Isles. But the Pens tied it late and you figured this was a lot like the 1982 Isles, winning two Cups in a row and making a strong comeback in a clinching game in order to win it in overtime. But no, it didn't work out that way. Mario had that point blank chance in overtime right in front of Healy and 9 times out of 10 the goalie blinks and flops around like a fish out of water once they realize it is Mario but this was one time where Mario actually may have had a little too much patience and didn't shoot it quick enough. Then the overtime goal on a bad line change for the Pens. To this day I don't know whose fault it was. It looks like Francis got off and someone needed to get on in his place. The Islander goal was scored more or less with 4 Pens on the ice. That's Martin Straka who was understandably out of place once he got on the ice trying to get to Volek. Ahh, too bad. But yeah, this is the NHL's #1 upset of all-time I think and is right there as the most crushing defeat.
#2 Oilers losing to Flames in 1986 - Again, this was a team who won two in a row and was poised to win a 3rd. Like the 1993 Pens they were the best team in the NHL that year by a decent margin. They couldn't shake the Flames all series though. Never had a lead the entire series. Had to play catch-up the whole time and win in Game 6 in Calgary. Then there was Game 7. The Oilers turned it on, they actually looked good in the 3rd period. Lots of chances, tons. Then Steve Smith's own goal off of Fuhr's leg. Man, you felt for the rookie. But the Oilers kept coming. Mike Vernon a couple of minutes later almost had the puck bank off his leg into the net on the same sort of play. The Oilers kept coming right up until the whistle. Honestly, the Flames hung on for dear life but regardless they won. But how crushing was that?
#3 1981 Canada Cup final - There was the 1979 Challenge Cup and that was embarrassing but you could at least point to the fact it wasn't a tournament and Team NHL had almost zero preparation time. Sure they wanted to win, but there was no training camp or anything. 1981 wasn't the case. We had a training camp and an entire tournament to figure out the bugs and then came up with the 8-1 egg against the Soviets. This was crushing though. It was a scary time for Canadian hockey. Were we no longer the best in the world? Was this the future? Lots of blame went around. Mike Liut, who deserved some of it, got the majority of it in Bill Buckner-like fashion (Buckner didn't even have the worst error in that inning in the 1986 World Series). People forget, Scotty Bowman was behind the Canadian bench for that game.
#4 Chicago loses to L.A. in 2014 - Maybe this one will look out of place to some, I don't know. I just thought there was so much on the line with this one and it was one of those series where a team lost, but you still almost feel as if they won. Probably because the winner was going to beat the Rangers regardless. But it was the Hawks trying to repeat and get three Cups in 5 years. They came back after a 3-1 series deficit, but coughed up a 2-0 Game 7 lead as well as a 4-3 third period lead to have it go to overtime. Then there was a partial breakaway with Brandon Saad that Jonathan Quick turned away. But then that overtime goal...........oh man, did it have to end that way? I think that is the reason it is so crushing. Such a soft wrister that goes off Nick Leddy and wobbles and lobs over a helpless Corey Crawford who couldn't react to the tip in time. Then it flutters in. The United Center was silent and I still remember Crawford just slouched over after the goal. It was heartbreaking, just one of those series where no one should have been the loser.
#5 Boston loses in "Too many men on the ice game" 1979 to Montreal - Sure the Habs were favoured, but this was just one of those games that everything was right there before it was taken away. Boston kept losing to Montreal, not just in the 1970s, but since World War II. Game 7 and the Bruins get a late goal to make it 4-3. Dryden actually didn't play particularly well in this game and if there was a time the cracks were showing for Montreal it was here. Then the too many men penalty. Then the pass from Lafleur to Lemaire (Don Cherry always swore he was offside) and the quick drop pass to Lafleur for a one-timer. Boom, tie game. In overtime I can't remember the Bruin player (O'Reilly) who had a glorious chance point blank in front of Dryden but it hit him in the logo and bounced out. Then the overtime goal by Yvon Lambert. Just crushing.
Honourable mentions:
1996 World Cup loss to the U.S.
2011 Canucks loss to Boston in the Cup final
1994 Canucks loss to Rangers in the Cup final
1996 Penguins loss to the Panthers
1990 Flames loss to the Kings