Kings Rally From Five Down in Overtime Stunner

# The Miracle on Manchester: February 11, 1982

On February 11, 1982, one of the most stunning comebacks in NHL playoff history unfolded at The Forum in Inglewood, California—an arena located on Manchester Boulevard, which would give this incredible game its legendary nickname: "The Miracle on Manchester."

The Edmonton Oilers, led by a young Wayne Gretzky in the midst of his record-shattering 92-goal season, traveled to Los Angeles to face the Kings in Game 3 of their best-of-five first-round playoff series. The series was tied 1-1, and everything pointed toward an Oilers victory that would put them on the brink of advancing.

By the third period, Edmonton held a commanding 5-0 lead. The Great One himself had contributed to the rout, and the Oilers seemed destined to cruise to an easy victory. Players were already thinking about Game 4. Some reports suggest that the Oilers were even planning their post-game celebration. The Kings looked completely outmatched, lifeless, and ready to pack it in for the season.

Then something magical happened.

At 2:46 of the third period, Kings defenseman Mark Hardy scored to make it 5-1. What seemed like a mere consolation goal sparked an unbelievable rally. Just over a minute later, Doug Smith scored. Then rookie Daryl Evans netted one. Suddenly it was 5-3, and The Forum—which had been practically silent—erupted with hope and disbelief.

The Oilers, now clearly rattled, couldn't stop the bleeding. Steve Bozek scored to make it 5-4 with just over seven minutes remaining. The arena was absolutely shaking. The impossible was becoming possible.

With 5:22 left in regulation, Mark Hardy scored his second goal of the period, completing the comeback and tying the game at 5-5. The Forum had transformed into bedlam. The Oilers, who had been so confident, now looked shell-shocked.

In overtime, the Kings' Steve Bozek—who had scored the goal that made it 5-4—became the hero. He took a pass and beat Oilers goaltender Grant Fuhr to complete the miraculous 6-5 victory. The Kings had scored five unanswered goals in the third period and overtime to pull off one of hockey's greatest comebacks.

The Miracle on Manchester had immediate consequences: Los Angeles won Game 4 two nights later to eliminate the heavily favored Oilers in the first round, shocking the hockey world. For Edmonton, it was a devastating learning experience, though they would eventually transform into a dynasty, winning five Stanley Cups in the next eight years.

For the Kings franchise, it remains the single most memorable moment in their history—a night when everything went wrong became a night when everything went impossibly right. The game has been immortalized in Los Angeles sports lore, representing the eternal truth that in sports, it's never over until the final buzzer sounds.

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