Bryan Murphy
Defense may win championships, but when it comes to entertainment, you can never go wrong with too many goals.
Playoff hockey is beautifully chaotic, as this time of year is filled with overtime thrillers and stunning comebacks. Every so often, two teams will throw defense out the window and square off in an old-fashioned, high-scoring barnburner.
That was the case in Winnipeg on Sunday night, as the Avalanche and Jets kicked off their Western Conference first-round series with non-stop offensive action. A total of 13 goals were scored between the two, but it was Winnipeg that prevailed to take the early series lead, coming out on top 7-6.
The 13 tallies in Game 1 may seem like a lot, and it certainly is. Does it rank highly on the all-time playoff list of highest-scoring postseason contests?
Here are the NHL playoff games with the most combined goals scored.
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The 13 goals scored by the two Central Division foes were impressive, but it’s not enough to enter into the 10 highest-scoring postseason affairs.
The Oilers teams of the 1980s pop frequently on the all-time list and share the top spot with the Kings. While Edmonton was typically on the winning end, the highest-scoring playoff game ever was punctuated by a Kings victory. The eight goals against the Kings in the 1982 playoffs were not enough to win, as Los Angeles potted 10, bringing the game total to 18.
The Penguins-Flyers rivalry resulted in a 17-goal affair in 1989, the second-most total goals scored in the postseason. After that, it’s that vaunted Oilers team again, this time coming out with a win after thumping the Kings 13-3 in 1987.
One of the most recent examples of offensive explosions came in 2022 when the Oilers and Flames went toe-to-toe, resulting in a 9-6 win for Calgary. It marked the first time in nearly 30 years that at least 15 goals were scored in an NHL playoff contest.
It’s not surprising to see contests from the very early ages of the NHL or from the Oilers teams of the 1980s pop up frequently on the list of highest-scoring games in NHL history.
There have been two games where there were a combined 21 goals scored, the most in any NHL game. The first happened in 1920 between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto St. Patrick’s, with the Canadiens winning 14-7. That record stood alone until late in 1985 when the Oilers and Blackhawks combined for 21 goals in a 12-9 Edmonton win.
There are only two other instances where at least 20 goals were tallied, and the Oilers were involved in both. In 1984, they played the Minnesota North Stars to a 12-8 affair, and two years later, the Oilers were defeated by the Maple Leafs 11-9.
Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.
