More Devastating Oilers Playoff Defeat 1986 or 1989?

[lakai17]

98 made me hate the Stars and there on after.

 

[Moose Coleman]

yeah, but if you're going to nitpick, the question didn't mention 2006.
(or 1982, since in a previous post I mentioned that series loss)

I honestly don't see 2006 as devestating, if you seperate the playoff run, or even the final series, from the events after.

I honestly can't see how someone could be more upset losing in the first or second round then in Game 7 of the Cup Final. To get that close and fall short its worse than not even getting there at all. IMO.

 

[Supreme King]

I honestly can't see how someone could be more upset losing in the first or second round then in Game 7 of the Cup Final. To get that close and fall short its worse than not even getting there at all. IMO.

There's a reason why.

In 1985-86 The Edmonton Oilers were juggernaut, fresh off two straight Stanley Cups and domninating the league once more. They were the envy of the entire league and most people within the NHL and fans wanted to see them go down. They got their wish. Losing to the Calgary Flames, their arch rival and the fashion in which they lost was terrible for Oiler fans. It was a horrible blow and looking back on it, it cost the team 5 straight cups. Ask any Oilers fan about 1986 and they will shake their head in disbelief. When I think back on it, i still feel as if Im being struck by a physical blow.

 

[Gord]

I honestly can't see how someone could be more upset losing in the first or second round then in Game 7 of the Cup Final. To get that close and fall short its worse than not even getting there at all. IMO.

guess it bothers me more when an awesome team with the potential to win 5 in a row that should have won, had an own goal and blew it to the flames, no less. Than a bunch of catch lightning in a bottle players who over achieved and in the end were just not good enough or lucky enough.

sure I was bummed the Oilers lost and the whole "what might have been, if rolli didn't get hurt". but it was nothing like the own goal and losing to the flames breaking the cup streak. only my opinion, of course.

 

[Supreme King]

The 1986-87 Oilers rebounded from their stunning second round round loss by winning their third cup in four years. For the fans who actually witnessed that season, it certainly was a long and bumpy journey. Calgary seemed to have a mental advantage over the Oilers by beating us early and often. They finished the regular season 6-1-1 against us after we had gone 6-1-1 against them in the '86 regular season.

Coffey was injured with a bad back and his relationship with Sather deteriorated at a rapid pace. The first game of the first round against LA gave us major jitters until we went 12-2 en route to the final. Blowing a 3-1 series lead in the cup final made matters worse until the Oilers dominated the third period of the seventh game, finally redeeming themselves from the '86 debacle. It's amazing after the long journey back in '87, the Oilers came back and won the cup in '88.

 

[Stoneman89]

The 1986-87 Oilers rebounded from their stunning second round round loss by winning their third cup in four years. For the fans who actually witnessed that season, it certainly was a long and bumpy journey. Calgary seemed to have a mental advantage over the Oilers by beating us early and often. They finished the regular season 6-1-1 against us after we had gone 6-1-1 against them in the '86 regular season.

Coffey was injured with a bad back and his relationship with Sather deteriorated at a rapid pace. The first game of the first round against LA gave us major jitters until we went 12-2 en route to the final. Blowing a 3-1 series lead in the cup final made matters worse until the Oilers dominated the third period of the seventh game, finally redeeming themselves from the '86 debacle. It's amazing after the long journey back in '87, the Oilers came back and won the cup in '88.

1988 cemented the journey back and brought closure, in my mind. In 1987, the team never got the chance to personally redeem themselves against the hated Flamers, as Winnipeg took them out instead. In 1988, the Oil finally had a chance to go head to head against them and it was a beautiful thing to see Gretzky and Kurri lead the team and stick multiple knives into the hearts of the Flamers and their fans. Went to game 4 here in Edmonton, and it was a fond memory to see brooms get thrown on to the ice as the final whistle went. If Gretz never gets sold that summer, I think the Flames never win their one and only cup the next year, and Oil tack on another 4-5 cups in the later years. They were that good.

 

[Stoneman89]

I honestly can't see how someone could be more upset losing in the first or second round then in Game 7 of the Cup Final. To get that close and fall short its worse than not even getting there at all. IMO.

Not sure hold old you are, but if you lived back then, you would have seen first hand how utterly dominant the Oilers were. When the odds are heavily favouring you, and you get knocked out by your hated rival to boot, it was devastating. This whole city took a long time to get over that.

I will admit it was nearly as devastating in 2006, especially since it could be argued we were favourites with Rollie on a run and having Pronger be superman. But looking back, when nothing was expected, it was the ride that was sweet, and some great satisfaction was still gained knocking out the Wings and the Sharks. There was nothing good that came out of the 1986 playoffs.

 

[Oilwings]

1986 for me. The Oilers will win the cup in 2016, 30 yrs after the loss to Calgary and 10 yrs after the loss to Carolina to right things back.

 

[mcauliffe]

I can't remember a playoff result causing a league-wide commotion quite like that '86 Oilers-Flames series. For somebody who didn't have a side in this one, that was an absolute shocker. The Oilers were THE it team, and you just knew they were gonna find a way. To lose the opportunity to win a third straight Cup on as fluky a play as can be was astonishing.

The '93 Pens come to mind, but even that didn't seem quite as surprising. It was a heartbreaker for sure, OT goal in game seven against an inferior opponent and all, but the Islanders weren't a rival comparable to the Flames, Volek's goal was at least a "real" goal, and Mario was clearly spent after the epic five months he had just lived.

I wasn't around in ´71, but the Bruins' loss might resemble the '86 Oilers the most (expansion era.)

 

[doulos]

From a personal standpoint 2006 because I was older and could appreciate more how difficult it truly was to win the Cup. Crushing to lose in Game 7 of the Final.

1986 was just so bizarre and to lose to Calgary ... ugh. That team could have won 7 straight Stanley Cups if not for some of the insanity that happened during those days.

 

[Fourier]

For me it was 1986 by a long shot. The own goal was devastating. That game was the only playoff game that the Oilers played in Edmonton in the 80's that I was not there for. Watched it in a bar in Honolulu. Just about ruined my whole trip. But I was totally invested in that team.

2006 was not nearly as devastating for me because I did not expect them to win and in many ways did not really identify with the team. I do understand though that for many 2006 was just as devastating as 1986 was for me.

 

[Fourier]

The 1986-87 Oilers rebounded from their stunning second round round loss by winning their third cup in four years. For the fans who actually witnessed that season, it certainly was a long and bumpy journey. Calgary seemed to have a mental advantage over the Oilers by beating us early and often. They finished the regular season 6-1-1 against us after we had gone 6-1-1 against them in the '86 regular season.

Coffey was injured with a bad back and his relationship with Sather deteriorated at a rapid pace. The first game of the first round against LA gave us major jitters until we went 12-2 en route to the final. Blowing a 3-1 series lead in the cup final made matters worse until the Oilers dominated the third period of the seventh game, finally redeeming themselves from the '86 debacle. It's amazing after the long journey back in '87, the Oilers came back and won the cup in '88.

That Flames team was a great team. Probably one of the best of the last 30 years. They were specifically built to beat the Oilers but in the end Gretzky was the real difference between the two franchises.

Game 7 against Philly was as nervous as I have ever been at a live sporting event. When Anderson scored it was like a weight was lifted off of 17000 people all at once.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

I guess the emotions were vague for me in 86. I was only 8 at the time.

I just remembered a kid getting pummeled in school for wearing a Flames jersey the next day. Not like someone getting punched, but like 5-6 kids beating him, and everyone cheering them on. I remember my cousins friend broke his hand by punching a brick wall, and the graffiti of 'Steve Smith Sucks'.


I think over the years we've coped by laughing about it. We used to play 'Steve Smith' Foosball, and we see that goal on gag reels, and have won a few cups since (redeeming Smith).

But that 2006 one still hurts today. And we have only a series of last place finishes that have rubbed all kinds of salt in the wound.

2006 is worse because there were no highs as a fan since then. At least in 86 you knew the team would keep winning cups after that based on how great their roster still was year after year.

 

[rboomercat90]

2006 is worse because there were no highs as a fan since then. At least in 86 you knew the team would keep winning cups after that based on how great their roster still was year after year.

It's true that after the 86 loss we felt our team was still good enough to win more cups. It was much different in 89 though.

Watching Gretzky celebrating beating the Oilers was devestating for me. It felt like our run was really over after watching our best player lead a lousy team to victory over our juggernaut. For a younger person, who didn't live through it, it may be difficult to understand just how much of an arrogant fan base we were back then and how we just expected to win cups every year. At the time I wasn't sure we'd be back again. I really thought it might be over then. That was so difficult to deal with. That's the only reason I'd even consider 89 being worse than 86.

By 2006 enough time has passed to just appreciate it. Immediately following the loss, even though it was disappointing, I wasn't too upset because we had Pronger locked up for another 5 years and I thought we could get back. Of course, by the time July rolled around, Pronger leaving and seeing Lowe spend to the cap on garbage, it was pretty clear we wouldn't be competing for years. Devastating for sure but not anywhere comparable to fans in their late thirties or older at the time.

 

[Soundwave]

'89 was pretty much the most unbelievable thing ... like in April-May 1988 .... you couldn't even fathom such a thing happening.

Not only do we not have Gretzky all of the sudden, but he's beating *us* in the playoffs after we were up 3-1 ... it burns. Burns sooooo bad. Thankfully we more or less owned the Kings in the playoffs after that.

 

[McShogun99]

86 AINEC. We were the favorite to win the cup and only lost because of an own goal. In 1989 no one knew how the team would do without Gretzky and no one was expecting a Cup win.

 

[Soundwave]

86 AINEC. We were the favorite to win the cup and only lost because of an own goal. In 1989 no one knew how the team would do without Gretzky and no one was expecting a Cup win.

'89 kinda was like the culmination of what happened in August 1988 though which is the most devastating thing to happen to the franchise. So it kind of felt like getting kicked in the balls, barely getting back to your feet and then being kicked in the balls again.

It felt like the franchise itself was ... over ... in a span of a year we went from the greatest hockey team of all time to it all being over and done with and to pour even more salt in the wound it looked like the Kings were going places.

That's just what it felt like at the time, but it felt like it was over. And the Flames finally won a Cup in '89 to put a cherry on top of that **** sundae, lol.

'86 was painful, but you still knew they would win (probably) again.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

'89 kinda was like the culmination of what happened in August 1988 though which is the most devastating thing to happen to the franchise. So it kind of felt like getting kicked in the balls, barely getting back to your feet and then being kicked in the balls again.

It felt like the franchise itself was ... over ... in a span of a year we went from the greatest hockey team of all time to it all being over and done with and to pour even more salt in the wound it looked like the Kings were going places.

That's just what it felt like at the time, but it felt like it was over. And the Flames finally won a Cup in '89 to put a cherry on top of that **** sundae, lol.

'86 was painful, but you still knew they would win (probably) again.

We judge it differently with the passing of time. but i would say 89 was disappointing at the time but winning in 90 took the sting away and made it an even more special championship. Winning without Gretzky proved the critics wrong about the oilers.

 

[Stoneman89]

When you're favoured to win, it hurts more. A lot more. IN '89, the Kings finished ahead of us and the money was on them to beat us, especially having game 7 at home. 3-1 deficit aside, the charts worked as they should for that series.

 

[Evil Ernie]

If it's between only those 2 years I take 1989. However, nothing was worse than 2006. Those other years weren't 1 game from winning the cup after a 16 year drought.

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

God, when I saw this pic right after the 06 loss, I was a grown man bawling his eyes out.

I was crying outside that god forsaken arena.

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

The 86 series without a doubt. Only solace is that the Flames lost in the finals.

 

[Ogopogo*]

Anyone who does not say 1986 is simply too young to really know what they are talking about.

 

[McOilers4cup]

Anyone who does not say 1986 is simply too young to really know what they are talking about.

Thread/

 

[Soundwave]

We judge it differently with the passing of time. but i would say 89 was disappointing at the time but winning in 90 took the sting away and made it an even more special championship. Winning without Gretzky proved the critics wrong about the oilers.

Yeah but in 89 there was no way of knowing 1990 was coming. In fact what happened in 1990 seemed so incredibly unlikely at that time.

I'd say next to almost being sold to Houston, that was the franchise's darkest hour.

It's like Superman joining the bad guys and then turning around to beat the Justice League.

It was just the most unimaginable horrifying nightmare, you have to remember Gretzky WAS the Oilers. He was there from day 1. He just had a fairy tale wedding in the city. We had just won the Cup and not only won it but had the most dominant performance in the Finals. Everything was great, then in a span of 10 months it's like every thing flip flopped on its head.

The other thing that made it burn even worse was there was a sad fair sized chunk of the Oilers fanbase that became bandwagon Kings fans, sporting those black/silver jerseys and whooping it up.

And Kris Kontos .... ugh. To basically collapse and be beaten by some guy out of nowhere.

To be honest there was no shame in losing to the Flames in '86 either. They were a damn good team that always played the Oilers at 110% and clearly that series could have gone either way going to game 7 and tied late in the game. Who's to say if Steve Smith didn't bank it in like that, that the Flames don't score on the very next shift.

I get that it was devastating but the Oilers were still *the* Oilers, you knew they would be back next year.

In 1989 though it was like nothing was certain. Up was down, down was up, Gretzky is wearing this strange alien jersey, it looks like the whole dynasty is finished ... done ... kaput. Even worse it looked that at that moment the Flames dynasty would begin, thankfully that didn't come to pass either.

'89 for me was the worst. It was like being operating on but having the horrifying realization you're awake. I honestly could not even watch the last game, I remember I had the CBC on so I could hear the sound from my room, but I couldn't bear to watch it.