Flyers / Oilers '87 Finals Game 2 Highlight Video (2 of 7)

[verispecify]

Following Gretzky's trade to Los Angeles in 1988, Kurri recorded 195 points in 154 games, leading the Oilers to their fifth and, to date, final Stanley Cup in 1990.

[bteeuwen]

is it me or do the old goalies seem to come way farther out of the crease?

[DaveTV2]

@bteeuwen Oh ABSOLUTELY. Goaltending was SO much more interesting and fun to watch back then. So many different styles to appreciate. Goalies would actually stand up to make saves when necessary. Imagibe that! Nowadays just about every goalie is a cookie cutter copy of the next. All "butterfly" goalies who seem to be on their knees on each and every shot not matter what the angle or where the shot is. The whole game was at it's best in the mid-late 80's.

[AceVilla2987]

im from edmonton but i feel very bad about how GLENN ANDERSON made such a fuss about having a watter bottle on the net. (the comment by GLENN ANDERSON: " like whats next? a bowl of fried chicken?") I am an OILERS fan. its just that i feel bad for HEXTALL. thats all

[DaveTV2]

@AceVilla2987 LOL. I do not remember that but that's a great line. Maybe it was not a big deal or covered the same way in Philly.

[StalkerJamforx]

The Flyers were a very good team, but they had a snowball's chance without Hextall playing the way he did. Especially with no Kerr.

[DaveTV2]

@StalkerJamforx Not sure anyone would argue with that statement but it is a team game after all. The fact that they were able to erase two 2 goal deficits and one 3 goal deficit is still an amazing accomplishment. To me game 5 says it all. They are coming off game 4 where they were spanked on home ice, facing elimination with a parade scheduled. Once again down 2-0 early. They score to make it 2-1, Oilers answer making it 3-1. How they HELL do you not give up at that point? They win the game 4-3

[StalkerJamforx]

@DaveTV2 I think they had A LOT of heart and played very well, but they were just outmatched by one of the best teams ever. That is why It is so epic that they did what you just described above. Truly a heroic effort, especially by Hextall. I remember watching and being glad that he won the Conn Smythe even though I was an Oiler fan.

[DaveTV2]

@StalkerJamforx Could not agree more and who knows what the outcome might have been if Kerr was on the ice. All other things being equal one would have to assume they would have won the series… BUT he wasn't and they didn't so what's the point of dwelling on it. That Oiler team was just outstanding and a joy to watch even if it was at the expense of my favorite team.

[lofemofe]

So cool to see the Oilers Dynasty in action. Gretzky is beast out there.

[DaveTV2]

@lofemofe I think this was when they were at their absolute best. They had learned how to play a pretty balanced game by '87 where a few years earlier they were simply ALL offense. Fuhr established himself as one of the game's best and this was just before Coffey left and obviously before Gretzky left. It STILL amazes me that they were able to win yet another cup in '90 without those two. Certainly speaks to the strength of that team. Best ever IMO.

[mikmicals]

KURRI was sooooooooo good.

[DaveTV2]

@mikmicals He was greatespecially so in this series. Seems like he picked that far side on Hextall a half a dozen times in this series.

[trulysarcastic]

I'm a diehard Islanders fan, but I love watching this series. It's a shame they never won in the eighties, they had some great teams and bad luck( running into dynasties) who knows what happens if Kerr is healthy. RIP Pelle Lindbergh

[jmdjmd0505]

I know this is not the Spectrum - but this is the tesm I grew up with

[jmdjmd0505]

Dzanier is couldn't have said it better. They were so beat up this series and thru out the playoffs - no Poulin, Sinisalo, Craven - instead Nachbaeur, Tookey saw alot of ice time against Islanders and Habs. Hockey is not like this any more - this was what going to the Spectrum was all about back then!

[suppie100]

As a patriotic Oilers fan, its very easy to say

Hextall was a fucking beast.

[TBoneMontana]

Hextall was really great in this game

[DaveTV2]

He was, but he was "great" in pretty much every game of the series.

[ferret6677]

nice pass by Coffey on the winner.

[Crawford1987]

I think this was the game that was the turning point of the season. If the Flyers won this game, it can be argued that the Flyers may have won the series, as they won games 3,5, and 6..but who knows? Besides Kerr, who were the other players that were injured for the Flyers?

[DaveTV2]

That is really hard to say. If they HAD won game 2, game 3 would not have been so daunting, so they may not have had the same desire to make such a historic comeback in game 3. If they lost game 3 it really was over.

Kerr was the biggest loss to injury, they rest of the team was banged up though. Poulin was playing with a number of cracked ribs. Remember, they had played in 2 six game series and a 7 game series just to get there. Oilers lost only 2 games getting there.

[Crawford1987]

Dave, what music did you use for each of these videos (the names of the songs)? It's really good music to use...i think i want to add it to my ipod.

[DaveTV2]

For all of them? Ugh! It is a combination of quite a few different songs and usually at least 2 or three for each video so it is hard to say without looking back at the working files. I made them about a year ago now. The ones used for this particular video are a combination of 2 songs from the Alien vs Predator soundtrack. The beginning of the video is "Requiem" and the end is "Decimation Proclamation". In the middle is "Titans Spirit" from the Remember the Titans soundtrack.

[dzanier]

I think in the end the fact that Philly had to go 6 or 7 in every series up to that point hurt them. Truthfully they did the best they could. The Game 6 win was inspirational. Game 7 in Edmonton ended 3-1 & Anderson scored late to seal the deal, but Edmonton ABSOLUTELY dominated that game. From the time Craven scored on the 2-man advantage in the 1st I don't think Philly got 10 shots on goal. Hextall kept it close but in my opinion, & I'm a Rangers fan, Philly had nothing to be ashamed of.

[DaveTV2]

Well put. The only thing that may have hurt them more was the loss of Kerr, but the one may have to do with the other.

When you look at the quality of scoring chances, they were basically dominated the entire series which is what makes the fact that they even made it to 7 games so amazing. If it were not for Hextall, It was probably over in 4 or 5.

In game 7 the Flyers had a total of 6 shots over the last 2 periods. Only 2 in the 3rd. If ever a team deserved to share the cup, it was that team.

[dzanier]

If you look at Ron Sutter give Gretzky that little cheap shot after he scores at 2:50 seconds, which Gretzky responded to with a whack to the glass, it's those little things that made the Flyers so hated. Even a hardcore Flyers fan would have to admit that Hextall's vicious slash at Kent Nilsson's ankle in Game 3 was just vile. He was mad at something Anderson had done so he slashes the first guy he sees. I know hockey is a passionate game where tempers flare but I can't condone those things.

[DaveTV2]

If you say so. Here is a quote from Gretzky "I always enjoyed playing against the Sutter brothers because they were really honest." "Not one of them ever played illegally. They just played hard. You had to respect the way they played the game."

Hextall's slash was in game 4 actually and was FAR less "vile" than Glen Anderson having his stick in the face of the Flyers the ENTIRE series. See 7:35 of my Game 6 vid. At least Hextall hit him in the leg where it is padded. Nilson did not miss a shift

[dzanier]

I don't really think Hextall consistently played at the level at which he played his rookie season, and especially in the playoffs, ever again in his career. He had a good career but after about 1991 he was notorious for letting in some of the worst goals a goalie could give up. Evidence Claude Lemieux's goal from about the blueline late in Game 5 of the 95 semis, to not mention the disaster of the 94 first round vs the Rangers. But in this series he was as good as anyone I've ever seen.

[DaveTV2]

Again, if you say so. The word "notorious" is a bit overstated. ALL goalies give up a soft one now and then. Brodeur did just this past playoff year. Sure the Lemieux goal was not a good one but that is to forget that he was AWESOME the rest of that game. There was basically two in his career, the Lemieux goal and one in 97 where the entire team disappeared in front of him.

In 94 that Iles team was HORRI BLE playing against an all star team of ex-Oilers in NY. Can't lay that one at his feet.

[DaveTV2]

For the record, in that 4 game series in 1994, The Islanders scored a total of 3 goals in 4 games. Being shut out twice. Hextall was really the only reason they even made the playoffs that year. He was fantastic down the stretch. Then they panicked after game 1 and killed his confidence by yanking him in gm 2. What happened? Same 6-0 result! Then in desperation they tried to go back to him. At that point, it was already over. How do you come back from that? He at least deserved to start game 2.

[trulysarcastic]

@DaveTV2 he had a 6.0 gaa and 800 sv pct., Killed his confidence? he had been playing for 8 years and won a conne smythe. If he lost his confidence because of that, then he isn't as good as you think. The only reason they got into the playoffs? They had six forwards with at least 25 goals and Malahkov had 57 points as a 2nd year d-man. This wasn't Hasek carrying the Sabres.

[DaveTV2]

@trulysarcastic OK, saying he was the "only" reason might have been overstating it a bit but it was a BIG reason they got in the playoffs that year. Yea, they had a few guys who scored 25 or more goals that year but they were in the middle of the pack in the division as far as goal scoring goes so what does that tell you? They were an average team at best that year and they ALL disappeared in the playoffs getting COMPLETELY shut out in the first 2 games. Thats not Hextall's fault!

[Jeff343536]

these are my 2 favorite teams.

[akaTheReason]

nice

[ECWnWWF]

I like the old uniforms...and the way the home team would wear their white uniform at home, unlike today where they wear the dark uniform at home..I also like the orange dark uniform for the Flyers as opposed to the black one. Anyway these were exciting games, the way hockey is suppose to be played. The Skill of the Oilers vs. the Grit of the "Broad Street bullies". Hextall may be the greatest goalie to not win a cup. And who says black people can't play hockey, look at Grant Fuhr!!!!

[OilersCanadasTeam]

This may have been Hextall's best game of the series. He didn't have as many saves as game 7, but the quality of shots he faced in game 2 was outstanding. I saw Gretzky with at least 3 or 4 good shots, and others like Tikkanen, Gregg, Messier, Nilsson and Kurri with many more.

[hockeyfreak896890]

I vote yes the Flyers-Oilers 87' Stanley Cup final should be made into a DVD.

[DaveTV2]

Thanks for the vote. Not that anyone is listening but we can only hope.

BTW, In case you did not realize it "Generationxfiles" and I are one in the same. I put the Hextall video there in the hopes to generate hits on my other videos and because I did not have this page at the time. I eventually created this page for more of that kind of stuff but unfortunately I cannot move the video and keep all the hits and comments.

[dalriada]

Fantastic video! This brings back one of the highlights of my youth. :)

[OilersCanadasTeam]

Dave, again another unbelievable video! great job! Love the music too!

[CANTROOP82]

amazing job putting these together. I can't get enough. Who wrote the songs that you used for each game?

[DaveTV2]

Thank you. Good thing for you I do not have much of a life!

The music on them came from a variety of soundtracks and composers. I would say that Hans Zimmer was probably used the most. There was also Trevor Rabin, Bill Conti (Rocky songs), John Willimas (Game 7), Mark Isham, Steve Jablonski. I am sure there were some more. I plan on adding the song credits to the description. Just have to go back and figure which were used where.

[DaveTV2]

Oh and Brian Tyler (Alien vs. Predator) was used on this video in particular.

[ogrebattle22763]

WOOOOOOOOOOW! THAT SAVE THAT HEXTALL MADE @ THE 2:39 MARK OF THE VIDEO OFF OF gretsky's shot was just unreal game saver!

[ogrebattle22763]

Dave I have to say that Hextall made some great saves! Grant Fuhr was unbelievable too!

[DaveTV2]

I Could not agree more. Fuhr was certainly not under the gun as much as Hextall was, but he was damn good when the Flyers DID manage to get some good scoring chances. Fuhr should certainly be commended by being able to stay sharp for those long periods of time when the Flyers could not even manage a shot on goal. They were both great.