Game 1, Stanley Cup Final: Panthers at Edmonton

I remember each Final appearance for specific reasons. You can’t anticipate why moments are important, but witnessing them, followed by speaking them into existence, gives those moments elevated status in memory and the mind’s eye.

The 1983 team played well in all four games, but were swept by the New York Islanders. Looking back, they just weren’t ready for that moment. The Oilers scored just six goals in the four games, only Jari Kurri (3) scoring more than one. My mood remained positive. How could the Oilers possibly be denied a Stanley? The only question surrounded what year the club would win it all.

In 1984, I knew they’d win Game 5 and the Stanley. After two Gretzky (Kurri), Ken Linseman scored on the power play. Lorne Starko lept from the old sofa, and we knew. Except that blasted Pat Lafontaine scored twice early in the third period to raise the anxiety level. Lumley’s ENG landed right in the middle of the net from 190 feet away, and the elation of watching your team win everything was underway.

The 1985 win was a breeze, five games and an 8-3 score in the clincher versus the Philadelphia Flyers. The third period of that final game took one forever. Dave Brown remains a legend in these parts, an absolute monster toe-to-toe. He played on the wrong side that night, but you could see why he roamed NHL ice all the same.

The 1987 Final is my all-time favourite, simply because it took seven games to win and it was so intense. For my money the 1987 Oilers were the best in NHL history, but the Flyers took them to the limit. It wasn’t until Glenn Anderson scored very late to make it 3-1 that the nation could breathe again. Gives me chills to this day.

It was all business for the 1988 Final, Edmonton in 5 over the Boston Bruins. The memorable parts of this series included the Oilers winning four in a row, because of a 3-3 tie that ended due to a power outage at the Boston Garden.

The 1990 team was an outlier. Gretzky was gone, many new kids arrived, Bill Ranford was lights out after an early wobble versus the Winnipeg Jets. The Final included several great moments, my strongest memories are of Craig Simpson’s ability to post offense. He scored 16 goals in the playoffs that spring. Simply incredible. However, even with that kind of firepower, Ranford won the Smythe on merit.

The 2006 team remains special to me in a way the 1983 club never managed. It was a one-off, but a glorious spring. Chris Pronger had what I still maintain was the finest season by an Oilers defenseman in the club’s history. He was an absolute monster on the blue line. Heartbreaking trade followed the heartbreaking Game 7. Fernando Pisani was outrageous and should never be forgotten.

The 2024 Oilers also lost in seven games, but I am more hopeful they will win a Stanley. Perhaps it is this year. It certainly feels like it. There was a time when I’d chime in with verbal about why these Oilers will win, and I am picking them for Stanley against the Florida Panthers in 2025. You should know I picked them in 2023 and 2024, too, and suspect I’ll pick them again.

The 2020’s McDavid Oilers do not have a championship, but I have the same feeling about this version of the team as I felt about the 1983 Oilers in the aftermath of their loss. It’s only a matter of time. Maybe it’s this time.

The original sin of the 2015 draft (sending away picks that would have fetched difference makers for also-rans and never-weres) has finally been defeated. Giants walk among us, and this time they have enough support to reach the promised land. Bless you boys. Godspeed.

Today on the Lowdown (noon on Sports 1440) we’ll set the stage for Stanley Cup Final 2025. Kevin McCurdy will join us, and Daniel Nugent-Bowman at The Athletic will give us the latest from the rink. This is why sports is the best. We have no idea what will happen tonight. Only that it matters.