During the NHL’s hiatus, we at the Last Word on Hockey are going to look back at each date’s historical significance to the game. We’ll remember the moments that shaped the sport of hockey that happened on this day. Here’s our look at this date in hockey history for May 24th, featuring the 1988 Stanley Cup Final.
Today in Hockey History
Power Outage Stops Game 4 of 1988 Stanley Cup Final
1988: Game 4 of the Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins is suspended after a power outage knocks out the lights. The game stops at 16:37 into the second period with the score tied at three.
league president John Ziegler said scoring totals will count after power is not restored. However, the game will be resumed after Game 7 if needed. This league by-laws have provisions for the situation. The series resumes two nights later in Edmonton, and the Oilers would finish the four-game sweep at home. Glenn Anderson scored 10 seconds into the suspended game to set a new record.
Other Notable Events
1979: Boston fires head coach Don Cherry after five seasons. Cherry reaches the playoffs in all five seasons, but can’t get win a Stanley Cup.
1980: Bob Nystrom scores 17:11 into overtime as the New York Islanders win their first of four straight titles. The Islanders beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-4, to win in six games.
1986: Bobby Smith‘s goal leads the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-1 Game 5 win over the Calgary Flames. Montreal wins its first Stanley Cup since 1979 and Patrick Roy wins the Conn Smythe Trophy.
1990: Edmonton wins its fifth Stanley Cup in seven years with a 4-1 Game 5 win over Boston. Bill Ranford wins the Conn Smythe and just misses out on a shutout.
1994: Greg Adams scores 14 seconds into the second overtime as the Vancouver Canucks reach the Stanley Cup Final. Vancouver beats the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in Game for its first trip to the Final since 1982.
2011: The Canucks make their third final with a 3-2 win in the second overtime over the San Jose Sharks. Kevin Bieksa scores 10:18 into double OT to win the Western Conference Final series in five games.
2013: A James Neal hat tricks helps the Pittsburgh Penguins clinch a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Pittsburgh downs the Ottawa Senators, 6-2, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final.
2016: The Penguins force a Game 7 with a 5-2 Game 6 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bryan Rust and Nick Bonino score in the third period to help Pittsburgh hold off Tampa in the Eastern Conference Final.
Happy Birthday to You
1901: Lionel Conacher
1959: Pelle Lindbergh
1964: Pat Verbeek
1971: Kris Draper
1973: Ville Peltonen
1988: Artem Anisimov
1990: Mattias Ekholm
1991: Cody Eakin
