Kings Rally from Five Down in Overtime Thriller

# The Miracle on Manchester: March 13, 1982

On March 13, 1982, the most improbable comeback in NHL playoff history unfolded at the Forum in Inglewood, California—a building located on Manchester Boulevard, which would forever give this game its legendary nickname: "The Miracle on Manchester."

The Los Angeles Kings were facing the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. The Oilers weren't just any team—they were a juggernaut featuring a young Wayne Gretzky, who had just shattered the NHL single-season scoring record with 92 goals and 212 points. Alongside him were future Hall of Famers Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, and Grant Fuhr. The Oilers had dominated the regular season and were heavily favored to steamroll through the playoffs.

The series was tied 1-1 when the teams met for Game 3. What happened early on seemed to confirm everyone's expectations: the Oilers were going to cruise. Edmonton exploded for five goals in the first period and added another early in the second, building a commanding 5-0 lead. The Kings looked dead in the water. Many of the 15,093 fans in attendance began heading for the exits. This wasn't just over—it was a massacre.

But then, something magical happened.

The Kings' Jay Wells scored late in the second period to make it 5-1, providing the faintest glimmer of hope. In the third period, the Kings somehow found another gear. Doug Smith scored. Then Mark Hardy. Suddenly it was 5-3, and the Forum faithful who had stayed began to believe. The building started shaking with noise.

Steve Bozek made it 5-4 with just over five minutes remaining. The impossible was becoming possible. The Oilers, who had looked invincible, were now gripping their sticks a little tighter, their confidence evaporating.

With 5:22 left in regulation, defenseman Mark Hardy—who had already scored once—fired a shot from the point that found its way through traffic and past a stunned Grant Fuhr. The game was tied 5-5. The Forum had transformed from a funeral into bedlam.

In overtime, the Kings' rookie sensation Daryl Evans took a pass from Charlie Simmer and beat Fuhr at 2:35 of the extra period. The Kings had completed the impossible: they had come back from a 5-0 deficit to win 6-5 in overtime in a playoff game.

The Oilers were in shock. Gretzky later called it the most devastating loss of his career. The young Oilers, who had thought they were destined for the Stanley Cup, were psychologically shattered. The Kings went on to win the series in five games, eliminating the record-breaking Oilers in one of hockey's greatest upsets.

The Miracle on Manchester taught the cocky young Oilers a harsh lesson about playoff hockey. They would return the following year more mature, more focused, and begin their dynasty that would produce five Stanley Cups. But they never forgot March 13, 1982—the night when being up 5-0 meant nothing, and the Los Angeles Kings authored the greatest comeback in playoff history.

To this day, no NHL team has ever overcome a larger deficit to win a playoff game, making the Miracle on Manchester an enduring legend in hockey lore.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI