More Devastating Oilers Playoff Defeat 1986 or 1989?

[BlowbyBlow]

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.

The early days to me didn't matter the upset of MTL, first loss to the Isles yea devastating but you knew keep that group together and good things will happen. When your team has a chance to win every year it's not big deal tbh

In 2006 it was a team 15 years removed from a championship the upset of the Stars and Avs were so long removed already and those were first rounds. This was a Cinderella team but they weren't playing a juggernaut. Game 1 was the most devastating loss in Oilers history. I was a season ticket holder at that time, and I know guys in ther 40's, 50's, 60's guys back to the wha days who say that game will always stand in there memory.

The Oilers had a 3-0 lead, and 3 minutes left till they would be going into the third. I can't recall in any sport, in any league where momentum shifted so unbelievably in favour of another team. That building in Raleigh was dead. Then to have the game be 3-3 and that lead evaporate so bad. Have your #1 goalie out of the playoffs. Knowing you probably never ever get this great of a chance. That game should be the 2nd or 3rd example of heartbreak in the dictionary.

 

[BlowbyBlow]

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

I was around and tbh with Gretzky you knew you always had a chance. Right after the upset of MTL it just seemed inevitable. Back then no salary cap, a juggernaut of a team the way you thought back then was no way you don't win it ever year, no way can you trade Gretzky.

An example is i am a fan of the Patriots and you know you always have a chance at the playoffs so we've had heartbreak, but heartbreak is measured in never getting a chance again, and feeling helpless, hopeless. None of those games ever did that back then, or ever made you feel that way. In alot of ways it always seemed liked if the oilers cared and put the effort they won. In 2006, or in 90' there was reason for doubt, or wondering if it could ever happen again.

 

[Replacement*]

89 was a worse feeling because it compounded the Gretzky departure and also that we were up 3-1 in that series.

If people really remember back to that time at 86 people knew this team still had success in store. it was just a reload. In 89 there were big doubts and thoughts that we would never get back to the SC show again. These thoughts exacerbated by watching an Oiler team lose the will to close out Gretzky and the Kings after being up in the series. Anybody knew as well that if the team bore down they would have won that series. They absolutely smoked the Kings the following year in the 90 playoffs as the Oilers by then had gotten over the Gretzky pain. 89 was too early.

I'll say this as well there was some talk at the time that some of the Oilers were mad how much Gretz celebrated that series win. It ruffled feathers. People won't talk about that now, but it was talked about then. The Oilers used that as motivation to get beyond and to be able to treat Gretz like an opponent.

 

[rboomercat90]

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.

There is a lot about 89 that people forget or, most likely, don't want to remember.

The band wagon fans that jumped ship to the Kings are one of them. There were lots of them and for the most part they were very obnoxious. Worse at the time than Flames fans who at least WERE Flames fans that you had an honest rivalry with. The Kings "fans" (people who had always cheered the Oilers with you) had so much hatred for Pocklington and the Oilers. They simply delighted in reminding you every chance that it was over. It almost felt like a civil war that year. To me one of the worst parts of losing in 89 was seeing Gretzky take a team that was so god awful (always finishing 30-40 points behind the Oilers) and beating us with them. At the time it felt like it somehow took away the magic of what the team previously accomplished.

The 86 loss was about disappointment and frustration. It was about losing a chance to win 4,5,6 or more cups in a row and the team cementing themselves as the greatest of all time. It was about an opportunity lost ONLY.

The 89 loss was about the ending of an era and a likely change of the guard. The more I think about it the more I think it was worse.

 

[Soundwave]

There is a lot about 89 that people forget or, most likely, don't want to remember.

The band wagon fans that jumped ship to the Kings are one of them. There were lots of them and for the most part they were very obnoxious. Worse at the time than Flames fans who at least WERE Flames fans that you had an honest rivalry with. The Kings "fans" (people who had always cheered the Oilers with you) had so much hatred for Pocklington and the Oilers. They simply delighted in reminding you every chance that it was over. It almost felt like a civil war that year. To me one of the worst parts of losing in 89 was seeing Gretzky take a team that was so god awful (always finishing 30-40 points behind the Oilers) and beating us with them. At the time it felt like it somehow took away the magic of what the team previously accomplished.

The 86 loss was about disappointment and frustration. It was about losing a chance to win 4,5,6 or more cups in a row and the team cementing themselves as the greatest of all time. It was about an opportunity lost ONLY.

The 89 loss was about the ending of an era and a likely change of the guard. The more I think about it the more I think it was worse.

The other thing is I'm eternally greatful for having Gretzky ... but gah damn the guy really whooped it up in celebration. I guess he was always like that, but to be on the receiving end of it was really ugly.

It was really satisfying that the Oilers basically owned the Kings in the playoffs for the next couple of years.

'89 in some ways was so dark/depressing that I think Oiler fans kinda block it out of their memory like it didn't happen. We just kinda think it went from August '88 straight to the 1990 Cup, but that year in between was unbelievably painful.

 

[Xelebes]

2006 was much worse when compared to 1982, 1986 or 1989. 1986 comes second. Then 1989.

 

[Evil Ernie]

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

Wow, you're so awesome.

 

[Speed220DChalavan]

I was just an urge in my daddy's pants in the 80's, so can't personally relate to '86 or '89. Just based on the oral history though, '86 hurt more.

For me, it was 2006. I truly believe if Roloson doesn't get hurt, we win the series. Even at that time I knew how difficult it would be to get back to the Cup finals, so it was gut wrenching. Even more so with the benefit of hindsight, and what has transpired 10 subsequent seasons afterwards.

There are always the ebbs and flows in professional sports (unless you're the Detroit Red Wings), but I wouldn't wish upon a decade of incompetence to any fan base, aside from the Flames.

The only redeeming thing is a Stanley Cup will be worth it even so much more, when McDavid and Hall lift it in Oilers Jerseys in the forseeable future.

 

[Speed220DChalavan]

I was crying outside that god forsaken arena.

Thinly veiled brag about attending game 7 in person.