NHL History: Edmonton Oilers win their first Stanley Cup
By baggedmilk
3 years agoIt was on this day in NHL history that the Edmonton Oilers closed out their series against the New York Islanders with a 5-2 win, securing the first of Stanley Cups for the franchise.
In what was undoubtedly the biggest moment in Edmonton Oilers history to that point, the 1983-84 team successfully avenged their loss in the finals at the hands of the New York Islanders from the previous season with a dominating performance. After making it through the first two games in New York with the series tied at one apiece, the Oilers elevated their level of play to another level and completely dominated the rest of the series.
A few years back, Robin Brownlee walked through this historic win for the Oilers and what it meant for the team that was eventually voted as the NHL’s best of all-time:
Still stinging from the 4-0 spanking they took from the Islanders in the 1983 Cup final, the Oilers pretty much made like a runaway rig rocket during the regular season, save for a five-game losing streak in February that included a stunning 11-0 loss to the Hartford Whalers.The Oilers put that in the rear-view mirror in a big way, winning 18 of their final 22 games to hit the playoffs on a roll. They’d dispatch the Winnipeg Jets in three straight games, the Calgary Flames in seven games — a series that would define the Battle of Alberta — and the Minnesota North Stars in a 4-0 sweep before getting another crack at the Islanders. It was no contest as the Oilers hoisted their first Cup after taking the final 4-1.“We were just obsessed with one thing, there was one goal, one destination,” goaltender Andy Moog said of building toward another playoff date with the Islanders. “We lived in the moment as far as the season was concerned, but nobody doubted for a moment what our objective was.”The teams split in Uniondale, the Oilers winning 1-0 on a goal by Kevin McClelland, before the Islanders responded with the 6-1 decision. That win would be the last hurrah for the champs as the Oilers pumped ‘em the rest of the way, outscoring the Islanders 19-6 in 7-2, 7-2 and 5-2 wins to get the party started in Oil Country.
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