The largest comeback in NHL playoff history happenedin a 1982 series between the Los Angeles Kings and the Wayne Gretzky-ledEdmonton Oilers, when the Kings came back from 5-0 to win Game 3 in the game dubbed the "Miracle on Manchester."
At the time, the series was tied at 1. The Oilers, with Mark Messier and Gretzky (off of a 212-point season), were expected to rip apart the slow-footed Kings before the series. The Kings, with just-past-his-prime Marcel Dionne,were upset winners in Game 1 and played top-seeded Edmonton to a tight Game 2 loss.
Edmonton stormed out at The Forum in Inglewood, California, for Game 3, going up 2-0 by the first intermission. From there, the Oilers put three more in the net, including a tip-in late in the period by Gretzky for his second tally of the game.
Then came the third period. The Kings scored twice in the first six minutes, but it was still 5-2 with less than six minutes left. Charlie Simmer's goal opened the floodgates, anda goalfrom Mark Hardy with 4:01 left pushed the Kings to 5-4. The Kings earned a power play for the last two minutes of regulation, and Steve Bozek scored with five (!) seconds left to tie the game at 5.
Daryl Evans' fourth goal of the series came 2:35 into overtime, and the "Miracle on Manchester"was complete. The Kings would drop Game 4 before completing the upset in Game 5 in Edmonton.
The full game is below. Who misses the faded running clock in the corner of the stream? No one? Fair enough.
