Toronto Mike

Twenty Years Ago Tonight

Rewind

Has it been twenty years already?  I have vivid memories of watching the Maple Leafs-Oilers game that took place on January 8th, 1986.  The reason I remember the game so well is because of what transpired that night when my lowly Leafs met the best team in the league at Maple Leaf Gardens.

It was a shootout at the OK Corral.  The high scoring Edmonton Oilers scored 9 goals against us, including three from The Great Wayne Gretzky, but we didn't lose that night.  In fact, we won by a couple as Miroslav Frycer scored four of our 11 goals.  The combined total of 20 goals in a game for two teams was the second-highest in NHL history and I distinctly remember the commentator rooting for another goal so the record could be matched.

It wasn't often we beat the mighty Oilers back then and it was thrilling for this twelve year old to watch our boys in blue beat 'em 11-9.  It was probably the most exciting game I'd ever witnessed until this one which closed out the decade.

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