Edmonton Kicks Away Chance at 3rd Stanley Cup

The Edmonton Oilers’ mini-dynasty came to a sudden, shocking end Wednesday night, and as it turned out, they literally beat themselves.

“It was an unfortunate way to end the series,” said Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky after a freak third-period goal gave the Calgary Flames a 3-2 victory in the seventh game of the Smythe Division final.

The Flames’ winning goal occurred when Edmonton rookie defenseman Steve Smith inadertently knocked the puck into the Oilers net off the skate of goaltender Grant Fuhr while attempting a clearing pass. Calgary left wing Perry Berezan, who last touched the puck, was credited with the goal.

“Obviously we were down on the bench (after the goal),” Gretzky said. “We tried to keep the energy level high.”

Gretzky, however, would not put the blame on Smith for the Oilers’ defeat, which cost them a shot at a third straight Stanley Cup championship.

“It’s not his fault,” Gretzky said. “One goal did not lose these playoffs.”

Smith wasn’t making excuses.

“It’s the worst feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” he said, his eyes still red from crying as he sat in the tomb-like silence of the Oilers’ dressing room. “I was just trying to make a pass out front to two guys circling.

“It was a human error. I got good wood on it, it just didn’t go in the direction I wanted.

Added Fuhr, “I can never recall a goal going in like that. You never expect something like that. I’m not real big on losing.”

Calgary veteran Lanny McDonald saw the goal as a gift from a higher power.

“When I saw the goal go in, I couldn’t believe it,” McDonald said. “Then I felt it was meant to be. We did a lot of praying in this (dressng) room and God finally answered our prayers.”

Flames Coach Bob Johnson said his team prepared well for the Oilers.

“We had seven secret points to beat them,” Johnson said. “I can’t tell you what they are. We have to save tham for St. Louis.”

In eliminating the Oilers, the Flames pulled off the biggest shocker in a series of surprises in this NHL postseason tournament. The Blues clinched the Norris Division championship with a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night.

The Flames will meet the Blues Friday night in Calgary to start the Campbell Conference final.

Calgary left wing John Tonelli, a veteran of four Stanley Cup championships with the Islanders, said the Flames learned from Game 6 of the series, which they led 2-0 before losing 5-2.

“We let them back into the game then and we knew we couldn’t let that happen again,” said Tonelli, who was acquired in March from the Islanders. “So we just went after them at the start of the third period, kept presssing them and kept the pressure on them. That was the key.”

Berezan, a left wing, was credited with the winning goal at 5:14 of the final period. The native of Edmonton got his first goal in this year’s playoffs and second overall.

In fashioning the best record in hockey during the regular season, the Oilers had established an air of invincibility entering the playoffs. But that was shattered by the Flames, who won three games at Northlands Coliseum after they won only one of eight games against the Oilers during the season and had not won here over five regular seasons.

Two years ago, the Flames took the Oilers to seven games in their Smythe final before Edmonton won and went on to its first Stanley Cup.