Will we see another 20 goals game?

[alko]

11. December 1985
The Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks play one of the wildest games in modern NHL history, combining for 21 goals on 90 shots in Edmonton's 12-9 victory at Chicago Stadium.
The 21 goals are the most by two teams in one game since the adoption of the red line in 1943. The Oilers and Blackhawks also set an NHL record by combining for 12 goals in the second period.
Edmonton leads 6-0 early in the second before Denis Savard gets the Blackhawks on the scoreboard with a power-play goal. Chicago gets as close as 7-5 and 8-6 before goals by Marty McSorley and Glenn Anderson late in the period give Edmonton a 10-6 lead, and Jari Kurri scores two third-period goals to keep the Oilers comfortably in front.
Kurri finishes with a hat trick. Wayne Gretzky doesn't score a goal but matches the NHL single-game record with seven assists. Troy Murray and Ken Yaremchuk score two goals apiece for Chicago.

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[mattihp]

I think goaltending is too consistant nowadays for it to happen. This would need two teams with goaltenders who do not quite do their job, and two sets of defenses who allow way too many shots.

 

[Plural]

I think goaltending is too consistant nowadays for it to happen. This would need two teams with goaltenders who do not quite do their job, and two sets of defenses who allow way too many shots.

Not to mention it would probably require 4 different goalies to metaphorically shit the bed. Most likely at least 3. Can't really see that happening. Maybe if it's at the end of the season and both teams need more goals as a tie-breaker to make it in the PO's and completely shut off defensive effort to score as much as possible.

 

[Nizzle]

Almost happened in 2011 when Jets beat the Flyers 9-8

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I was at a Wolves - Griffins game in 10? That was like 10-8. Tatar had like seven eight points. AHL I know but it’s not that far off the mark. I think it’ll happen.

 

[mattihp]

I was at a Wolves - Griffins game in 10? That was like 10-8. Tatar had like seven eight points. AHL I know but it’s not that far off the mark. I think it’ll happen.

Two goals and a whopping five assists!

 

[Iapyi]

At some point in the further existence of the NHL it will happen. There are some posters on this board who contend that they know exactly what will happen so perhaps one of them will let us know when.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

At some point in the further existence of the NHL it will happen. There are some posters on this board who contend that they know exactly what will happen so perhaps one of them will let us know when.

December 16th, 2023.

You're welcome.

Seriously though, I think it'll happen. I think tech and training trends favor offense, and given enough time we'll see something crazy. Probably not in the next couple years, but outside of the next 5 years maybe.

 

[Stimpythecat]

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Well, if you look at last season, the Senators and Hawks had a 8-7 game. That game had no empty netters.

5 goals is still a lot, but it's possible. Especially if team pulls the goalie twice in the end.

It'll probably happen eventually.

 

[bobholly39]

yeah I think it can happen. Unlikely but not impossible, eventually it'll happen

 

[Kcoyote3]

If Martin Jones is both goalies then yes

 

[Sauce12]

Almost happened in 2011 when Jets beat the Flyers 9-8

I remember watching that game. That was crazy.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

All-star game...

 

[tarheelhockey]

It has only happened 4 times in league history:

1-10-1921 Montreal Canadiens 14 Toronto St. Pats 7
1-4-1984 Edmonton Oilers 12 Minnesota North Stars 8
12-11-1985 Edmonton Oilers 12 Chicago Black Hawks 9
1-8-1986 Toronto Maple Leafs 11 Edmonton Oilers 9


Since the mid-1990s, we've had:
- Eight 15-goal games
- One 16-goal game
- One 17-goal game
- One 18-goal game

I think it's accurate to say that if we keep playing games forever, eventually we'll see another 20-goal outburst. But by all appearances, it's a once-a-century event outside of a very brief window in the 1980s where a perfect storm formed around the Oilers. At our current pace, that pattern looks like it will hold so unless another oddball 80s-Oilers situation crops up, look for it to happen maybe once in our lifetimes.

 

[alko]

Almost happened in 2011 when Jets beat the Flyers 9-8

Shots on goals: 25 : 48