On April 9, 1986, history was made at Northlands Coliseum as the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks faced off for the first time ever in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Most fans expected Wayne Gretzky to lead the charge, but on this night, it was Mike Krushelnyski, the unheralded forward known as Krusher, who turned out to be the difference-maker in Edmonton’s 7-3 win.
Coming off a tough, injury-shortened 1985-86 season, Krushelnyski had seen his numbers drop from the 43-goal career high he posted the year before. With just 16 goals and 24 assists in 54 games, few were predicting playoff heroics from him. But playoff hockey always has its surprises.
Krushelnyski scored the game-winning goal just 4:27 into the third period on the power play, assisted by Paul Coffey and Mark Messier. He wasn’t done yet. Just five minutes later, he struck again, this time with helpers from Messier and Mark Napier. Messier himself had a strong night, recording three assists, while Gretzky was limited to a single goal.
The Oilers went on to sweep the best-of-five Smythe Division semifinal, marking a short but memorable chapter in their dynasty years. It was also the final series that saw Cam Neely in a Vancouver uniform, he’d be traded to the Boston Bruins that summer, where he’d become a legend of his own.
About Mike Krushelnyski
Betwen 1981-82 and 1994-95, Mike Krushelnyski played 897 regular season and 139 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings. He reached the 20 goal plateau five times, topping out with a career best 43 in 1984-85 with the Oilers.
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