Grant Fuhr said he doesn't believe the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers are the No. 1 Greatest NHL Team, which they were voted during the NHL Centennial Celebration in 2017.
"I kind of like the '87 team better," said Fuhr, who was the Oilers goalie for their first four championships and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame since 2003. "I think we were a little bit deeper. I think if you looked, we had four solid lines, we added Kent Nilsson at that time, so I personally think the '87 team may have been a little bit better than the '85 team."
Fuhr and defenseman Paul Coffey, key members of the dynasty when the Oilers won the Stanley Cup five times (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990) in seven seasons, participated in a video conference arranged by the team Wednesday.
The subject arose because the 1987 Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers, won by Edmonton in seven games, has been airing on Sportsnet in Canada while the NHL season is paused due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
The Greatest NHL Teams were voted by fans during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as part of the NHL Centennial Celebration. Stanley Cup championship teams from 1918-2016 were eligible. The 1986-87 Oilers finished fifth, behind the 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins, 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens and the 1987-88 Oilers.
Edmonton led the NHL with 106 points (50-24 with six ties) in the 1986-87 regular season and went 16-5 in the playoffs. The Oilers finished second in the League with 109 points in 1984-85 (Philadelphia had 113) and went 15-3 in the playoffs (including nine straight wins), when Gretzky set NHL records for assists (30) and points (47). His linemate, Jari Kurri, scored 19 goals in 18 games to tie Reggie Leach of the Flyers for the NHL record for most goals in a single postseason. Coffey set League records for goals (12), assists (25) and points (37) by a defenseman.
Coffey, who won the Cup three times with the Oilers (1984, 1985, 1987), said he finds it difficult to choose and has even had the discussion with center Wayne Gretzky about which team was better.
"I don't disagree (with Fuhr), but I did pick the '85 team, simply because we won (the Final against the Flyers) in five games," said Coffey, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. "But to have a Kent Nilsson … and you can't overlook Reijo Ruotsalainen, one of the talented, talented defensemen [in regards to] puck moving.
"But I have a soft spot for the '85 team because of [Dave Semenko] and Donny Jackson and guys like that that were on that club. 1987 was an incredible team, but you've got to remember the League was getting better, so we had to get better. And that's one thing that [coach and general manager Glen Sather] wasn't afraid of, to make moves."
Flyers goalie Ron Hextall made things much more difficult for the Oilers during their championship run in 1987. He was on the losing team in the Final but was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, one of the elements that has elevated the series to classic status in the eyes of many.
"We knew if we didn't play our best, we would not win," said Coffey, who had 1,531 points (396 goals, 1,135 assists) in 1,409 NHL regular-season games and 196 points (59 goals, 137 assists) in 194 playoff games. "You've got to remember as great as Grant was, and I still think Grant played as well, if not better, than Ron Hextall, [Hextall] did a great job on the other side and kept those guys in the series."
Fuhr went 14-5 with a 2.47 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage during the 1987 playoffs. He said he relished the duel against the Flyers and Hextall, who went 15-11 with a 2.76 GAA and a .908 save percentage.
"It's not so much you're playing against the other goalie, you're playing against the other team," said Fuhr, who had a career record of 92-50 in the playoffs. "If he's doing his job, then I have to do my job. I think that was the big thing. [Hextall] was playing well, so I knew I'd have to play well. But I also knew our guys would be good. As long as I did my part, then we have a chance."
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html
No comments:
Post a Comment