Five Crazy Facts About the 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers
Ask an old-time hockey fan about some of the best teams to ever take the ice, and there's a good chance that you'll hear the 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers. The Oil weren't just one of the best teams to ever play in the NHL; they were also one of the most enjoyable teams to watch.
In the salary cap era, greatness like the Oilers simply isn't possible, which makes it hard for younger fans to appreciate just how strong they were. Here are a few ingredients to their success!
They Set a Record for Goals
The Oilers weren't concerned about playing defense. Their goal was goals, and lots of them. As long as they had one more at the end of the night, that was all they cared about. Usually, they did, as they scored 446 goals for the season, an NHL record that still stands. Incredibly, the record they broke was their own: the 1982-83 Oilers' mark of 424. That's 5.58 goals per game, a mind-boggling number.
They Ran Away With the Regular Season
These days, getting to 100 points in the standings isn't unusual. In 1984, however, it was an accomplishment. But the Oilers cruised past 100 and finished with 119 points, winning 57 of 82 games. Only the New York Islanders managed to join them in the 50-win club, and the Oilers won the Smythe Division by 37 points over second-place Calgary.
Their Biggest Rivals Nearly Ruined Everything
The Flames might have finished nowhere near the Oilers in the regular season, but in the playoffs, they gave them all they wanted. Calgary was the one team that wasn't afraid of Edmonton, pushing them seven games in the Smythe Division final before succumbing. Nobody else came close: Edmonton's record against their other three playoff opponents was 11-1.
They Ended the Islanders' Dynasty
In 1983, the Oilers couldn't compete with New York, which dusted Edmonton in four games to win its fourth straight Stanley Cup. But the Oilers watched and learned from their tormentors, and a year later, they put those lessons to good use.
In the rematch, Edmonton hammered the Isles in five games, winning the final three by a score of 19-6. It was the first of four Cups the Oilers would win in the 1980s.
They Had Four 100-Point Scorers
This might be the most incredible: there were enough pucks to go around. Mark Messier's 101 points would lead most teams, but on this scoring machine, he only ranked fourth. Jari Kurri notched 113 points, Paul Coffey set a scoring record for defensemen with 126 and Wayne Gretzky won his fourth straight Art Ross Trophy with an unthinkable 206. Of those, 87 were Gretzky goals, the second-highest of his career.
