Game 4 of the 1988 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins was one of the most interesting NHL playoff games ever played because they didn’t get it on the first try. The game started in Boston on May 24, 1988, but towards the end of the second period, a blackout hit the Boston Garden and the game was stopped. After a lengthy delay, with the lights still out, NHL President John Ziegler called the game. Due to NHL rules at the time, any playoff game that could not be completed had to be cancelled and replayed at the end of the series. This meant that game 4, which was tied 3-3, now shifted to Edmonton’s Northlands Coliseum to start over again on May 26, 1988.
As the CBC telecast got under way on that spring evening, fans were greeted by Ron MacLean and Don Cherry. The two were in the first few years of their tandem act at Hockey Night in Canada, which lasted well into the 21st century. Don was in vintage form, as we’ll delve into a bit deeper as we get to the first intermission. After the anthems were sung, Andy Van Hellemond, Ron Finn, and Ray Scapinello were introduced to the viewers as the officials. It seems that the officials had more of a celebrity status back then. Their names appeared on screen as they skated around on the ice, with their names emblazoned on their backs, and not the anonymous numbers that NHL officials sport today.
The Bruins started strong and opened scoring early in the first. Steve Kasper put one in from a tight angle just 43 seconds in to the game. Boston continued to apply pressure on the Oilers, and scored on a power play a bit later in the period, making the score 2-1. But the Oilers never seemed to be rattled. This was a very experienced team, led by Wayne Gretzky, who knew how to keep the game close. By the end of the first period, the game was tied 2-2. Esa Tikkanen had responded for the Oilers on a beautiful goal set up by Gretzky, who was having a playoffs to remember.
One thing that really stood out for me in the first period was the helmetless Craig MacTavish. He was the only player on the ice, and one of the few remaining in the league at the time, to play without any head protection. It really made me cringe to watch as he slid to block a shot. There was even a shot of him during the first period on the bench getting some kind of neck adjustment from the trainer after having his jaw rammed into the boards by Boston’s Cam Neely. It was a surreal sight to see when thinking of all the head injury protocols in place in today’s game.
During the first intermission, viewers were treated to a classic version of Coach’s Corner. As I mentioned a bit earlier, Don was being Don as he took on the Oilers establishment. He slammed Oilers management for saying that the Boston Garden should be blown up after the power outage on May 24. Don Cherry held the Boston Garden to be sacred ground due to his time coaching the Bruins, and had no trouble standing up to the dominant Oilers elite on Canadian national television.
Emotions also picked up on the ice as the second period began. You could tell that both teams were staring to realize what was on the line, as the play became more chippy and some scrums started breaking out after the whistles. As the temperature rose, the Oilers began to control the game with goals from Mike Krushelnyski and Wayne Gretzky. The inevitable seemed to be closing in on Boston, as the Oilers stars began to shine. TV commentator Harry Neale proclaimed that Gretkzy would likely win the Conn Smythe if Edmonton held on to win the series. As Neale said this, a stat flashed on the screen, showing that Gretzky had 59 points in 33 career games against Boston. Another one of those gawdy Gretzky numbers that you’d probably never see in today’s game. And then, as the period was about to end, Gretzky made a beautiful play to set up Craig Simson who tapped the puck in with just 2 seconds left. It was a devastating blow, as Gretzky was once again the dominant force leading the Oilers to another cup triumph.
It was more of the same as the game entered period 3. Esa Tikkanen scored his second of the game early on by capitalizing on a Boston mistake, and Edmonton now held an insurmountable 6-2 lead. Although Boston continued to hustle, it was pretty clear that both teams were just going through the motions. A balloon floated to the ice from the festive crowd at the Northlands Coliseum, and TV play-by play announcer Bob Cole spoke of getting the champagne ready. Although Steve Kasper found Grant Fuhr’s five hole for his second of the game, it was far too little too late as the Oilers romped their way to a 6-3 victory. As the seconds ticked down, Jari Kurri tackled Grant Fuhr in jubilation, as the bench cleared and the party was on.
Of course, this ended up being the last game that Wayne Gretzky played in an Oilers uniform before being traded to Los Angeles later that summer. It’s probably at this point where that becomes so powerful to someone watching this game in 2021. There is a sense of innocence as the Oilers celebrate that is almost eerie. The images that appear are almost haunting, knowing what lies just a few months down the road. Peter Pocklington, the owner of the Oilers, is celebrating with the team as the crowd goes crazy. And just a few months later, he is going to be public enemy number one. This Oilers victory really was a moment in Canadian history, unbeknownst to all at the time, that we’d never get back. A Canadian NHL dynasty is hoisting its fourth cup in five years and Wayne Gretzky, the kid from Brantford, Ontario, is their leader, and the best player in the world. The Calgary Winter Olympics had just taken place months before, and the bitter free trade election of 1988 was still a few months down the road. For a brief moment, a Canadian fairy tale continued to play out, and it is a nostalgic scene to watch.
Not-so-instant-replay 