It's time. Game 1 features Richard Sevigny against surprise starter ANDY MOOG. Gretzky lines up at centre with Kurri & Semenko. Jarvis, Gainey and Nilan are out for the Habs. Let's go.
Thread: [1/?]

It is slightly surreal to hear the great Danny Gallivan calling a playoff game involving the Oilers. He refers to Gretzky as 'the wonderboy' on a first shift 2-on-1 with Semenko. A shocking start, then Siltanen takes his man out the other way.

Shortly after Dave Hunter takes Lafleur out along the boards, Lee Fogolin, playing on a very bruised thigh bravely goes on an excursion into Larry-land and pays the price. But this feels like an inspiring moment. The Oilers know they won't be intimidated.

A brief flurry of chances from Lafleur and Langway, but Moog, who is tiny, stands tall. Once Dick Irvin clarifies how to pronounce Moog, he mentions some interesting trivia about Moog's dad being a member of the Penticton Vees who defeated the Soviets in 1955.

Now each member of the Anderson-Messier-Hagman line gets a scoring chance. The Oilers look very sharp tonight so far, this is a little shocking.

A quick turnover at the blue line, Anderson-to-Gretzky-to-Anderson and THE OILERS ARE UP 1-0! Former 50-goal man Mickey Redmond points out most would have shot in Gretzky's position. An amazing start, then after the goal #30 Chris Nilan gets sent flying. What is going on!?

After a harmless Habs rush, Gretzky rushes up ice, makes a move and fires a quick shot on Sevigny. Danny Gallivan calls it a "typical Gretzkian move"

Hagman goes to the far left wing, then the far right as Anderson sets him up effortlessly for another scoring chance. The Habs have never had a European on their roster.

Less fancily, Mark Messier picks up a loose puck and charges in like a bull, ripping a backhand shot straight into Sevigny's neck. He's down! So let's break for a commercial. Maybe it'll give astonished Habs fans some time to breathe.

Let's get another look at Messier's "neck shot". Now the Oilers have Unger, Lumley & Hunter out, and one little misplay is all it takes for this game to be tied. Is this the moment the tide turns?

They're still announcing the Habs tying goal, Callighen skates in fakes a shot, Gretzky tips it to Kurri and DANNY GALLIVAN GOES RASPY VOICED WITH EXCITEMENT. It's 2-1! Dick Irvin is rolling his R's for "Kurri".

The Habs have aging vets Savard & Lapointe out and the Oilers top line is forechecking hard.Gretzky left alone in the corner, he centres through a maze of legs to Kurri and it's 3-1! Kurri's only a "good goal scorer"? More like *very good* goal scorer.

Out of town,
- NYI leads Toronto 2-0 (no surprise),
- Vancouver leads Buffalo 1-0 (a surprise!),
- Flyers are up 3-1 on Quebec
- the North Stars lead Boston 1-0

Fans in Montreal are seeing the best game Gretzky has ever played in this building. Another set-up for Kurri, who almost had the hat-trick. But the 2nd period is much tighter checking than the 1st.

Now Guy Lapointe, frustrated with the game, his season, as well as his whole life in general, decides its time he got beat up by Dave Hunter. And now Lapointe is HITTING Hunter with his HELMET! That's a textbook gross misconduct!

I think he's reading from a cue card

Robinson and Messier have gotten tangled up at centre ice, and Messier is FURIOUS, waving his stick. An ugly situation nearly develops. BTW Robinson is enormous

The 3rd period begins, and instantly the Oilers' top line is applying the pressure. First Kurri is set up, then Callighen, and he beats Sevigny for his 1st NHL playoff goal. It's 4-1! Some Montreal fans cheer the announcement of Gretzky's 4th assist!

"Jiggs I hope you can take this sitting down..."
Shockwaves are rippling through the NHL as viewers see the score in Montreal. Oh hey Bossy scores. LOL LEAFS

With Wayne Gretzky in the penalty box, Doug Risebrough gives the home fans something to cheer about, but it's noticeably much quieter now than at the start of the game. It's 4-2 Oilers.

Kurri spearheads the attack and the Oilers d-men are thinking offense. First Lariviere fires one, then Coffey, and IT'S IN, with Robinson screening his own goalie. Gretzky keeps the puck for Coffey's 1st ever playoff goal! 99 is credited with an assist, his 5th of the game.

The 10th seed Nordiques are trailing 5-4 in a very tough place to play, Philadelphia. Now they've changed the scoring on the Oilers last goal, and FANS BOO. Gretzky's record-tying 5th playoff game assist is changed to Kurri.

As fans are filing out of the building, former WHAer Rejean Houle blasts one through Andy Moog to make it 5-3 with 3:05 left.

Goalie pulled, Gretzky flips it to Callighen and he rockets in and blasts it into the empty net, with far more gusto than needed; the record-tying 5th assist to Wayne Gretzky.

The Montreal Canadiens have been decisively defeated by the Edmonton Oilers, 6-3, led by Wayne Gretzky's 5 assists. At no point was this game in doubt. It may go down as the most shocking playoff-opening defeat in Habs history. But where do we go from here? [25/25]