Here is an excerpt from an issue of The Hockey News from 1985. The Edmonton Oilers were trying to overcome a slump. Even Wayne Gretzky was struggling.
Read more below:
Story by Dick Chubey, April 12, 1985
“This is probably the toughest month Wayne has had in hockey,” observed Sather of No. 99’s mortal goal production of five in the aforementioned 12 games. “But he’s coming out of it.”
“I read something about the Philadelphia basketball team, where Julius Erving had to step up and put his foot down. Well, Wayne has to do that with our team. And he did that the other night (during a soul-searching team meeting following a 3-3 tie with the last-place overall Toronto Maple Leafs). Now the foot soldiers have to rally around that.
“This isn’t the time for self-doubt. It’s a time to look to the future and concentrate on the unified purpose of defending the Stanley Cup.”
The Oilers appeared to take a monumental step in this regard on March 26 in Long Island.
In a match that was billed as the first visit of a Stanley Cup champion to their Nassau County Coliseum since the Montreal Canadiens dropped by on Jan. 22. 1980, the Oilers overcome a 4-1 deficit to upend the Islanders 7-5 in a highly emotional and significant affair.
“We haven’t played a tough, paid-the-price-to-win game like that in a long time,” said center Mark Messier, who turned in his first two-goal outing since Jan. 13 in Buffalo—the night before he drew a 10-game suspension. “Guys were willing to stick their nose in there and take the shot in the mouth to make the play. It finally paid off. I think we forgot what it takes to win a big game like this in this league.”
To which defenseman Paul Coffey, who also had two goals and was far and away the game’s outstanding performer, added: “We were concerned with getting the team going. We had a little meeting after the Toronto game and it was suggested guys start doing their individual jobs. Fighters fight. Hitters hit. Scorers score. That’s why we won. And for the first time in quite awhile, we didn’t lose too many races to loose pucks.”
Sather took advantage of Coffey’s performance to place a monumental plug for his starring defenseman.
“Bobby Orr never played like Paul did tonight,” Sather gushed. “He was absolutely unreal—both offensively and defensively. Just on his performance in this game, if he doesn’t win the Norris trophy, there is no justice in this league.”
THN.com/ArchiveTHN Archive is an exclusive vault of 2,640 issues and more than 156,000 for subscribers, chronicling the complete history of The Hockey News from 1947 until today. Visit the archives at THN.com/archive and subscribe today at subscribe.thehockeynews.com
Related: Sexiest Edmonton Oiler Alive
Related: Ex-Oilers Forward Signs Agreement With Penguins
Related: Ethan Bear Could Make Oilers Return Only After One Trade Happens First
Related: Former Oilers Goalie Having Bounce-back Year