1987 Playoffs: Red Wings-Maple Leafs Series Recap

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Detroit Red Wings. 1987 Norris Division Finals (Round 2).
First Det-Tor series since 1964.
Regular Season Records
(4) Tor - 32-42-6 - 70 Pts
(2) Det - 34-36-10 - 78 Pts
Season Series
Tor 5-2-1
0:42 - Game 1 - 4/21/87
1:45 - Game 2 - 4/23/87
2:18 - Game 3 - 4/25/87
3:15 - Game 4 - 4/27/87
6:25 - Game 5 - 4/29/87
7:50 - Game 6 - 5/1/87
9:20 - Game 7 - 5/3/87
Series Stats - www.hockey-reference.com/play...
Round 1 Recap vs Chi - • 1987 Playoffs: Red Win...
Round 3, Game 1 Recap @ Edm - • 1987 Playoffs: Det @ E...
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[@Yzerman1991]

RIP Jaques and Brophy... This series is my first Red Wings memory, what a great series

[@scottdecker9115]

Brophy is dead, but Jacques is still alive. His health is deteriorating though.

[@detroitrockscity]

My future step dad took me to game 7. I will never forget Glen Hanlons 3-0 shut out 👊 So cool to see this again Thank you so much!!

[@timburr4453]

Love this uniform matchup too. Toronto and the Wings just have two base colors back then. Blue and white vs red and white...an original 6 beauty. Love me some 80s hockey Always respected Wregget in the playoffs he seemed to raise his game even in defeat

[@monkhousefamily4468]

This was awesome! Thanks for posting

[@doctorx3]

I would love to see more footage from this series. One for the ages, and a real feather in the caps of all the Wings players who were involved.

[@errbt]

Thanks for finding this! Weird that the original producers chose not to show idiot Brophy making the choking sign at Demers, as it was a huge focal point at the time, giving the Wings added motivation for the comeback and making the final result that much sweeter.

[@Tubewings]

The "choke sign" happened earlier in the season, but yeah, Jacques definitely got the last laugh here.

[@robcole3581]

errbt remember their stupid Brophys boys hats?

[@dominicbonanno6806]

This is amazing. I watched this video about 50 times as a kid. Thanks for posting!

[@jeffk3037]

I grew up outside of Detroit, in 87 I was 12 years old, my dad made me watch the playoffs with him. I never missed a game after this. Thanks for sharing

[@Gphazor]

I know the Ultimate end in the playoffs is the stanley cup, but it sounded like winning you're division back in the day actually meant something.

[@ckendall67]

- The 1987 playoffs were the beginning of the rebirth for the storied Red Wings, who'd struggled for years prior to '87 and just the previous season had finished dead last overall. But Jacques Demers came aboard and brought the Wings back to respectability in '87. Thus began a 30-year period of prominence for the Wings who'd missed the playoffs just ONCE over the next 30 seasons up until 2017. Along the way the Wings would win 4 Stanley Cups( 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008 )after having gone more than 40+ years without winning even once. As for the Leafs in '87, well...just think, if they'd closed out the Wings at home in Game 6 they could've actually made it to the Campbell Conference Final...although they likely would've been no match for the vaunted Edmonton Oilers anyway.

[@lakeeriesailor2852]

Two hall of famers in the Detroit line-up, Yzerman and Oates.

[@scottdecker9115]

Well in all fairness to the Leafs, they DID beat us out in 1993 before losing to the Kings in the Conference Final. Off the record, as a Red Wings fan that still eats me up inside how we blew that series to them in 7.

[@robcole3581]

Where does the time go? I watched this series on WKBD 50 in Detroit, remember Ray Layne? What a great guy . Great era of hockey

[@Yzerman1991]

Ray "Razor" Lane. Such good times

[@dnx112]

Ray Lane suxed. Worst in Detroit history.

[@Yzerman1991]

Yzerman was transforming into a world class player here...

[@JoeyBattaino]

You’re awesome for posting this.

[@johnzdunek7690]

I was there that night the loudest I ever heard that building. We bought season tickets in 1986 row 1 section 104 my buddy Mark jumped on the ice when this game ended thank God he did not get arrested. Old time hockey. Probert, Kocur, Bridgeman to many to list.

[@dnx112]

Loudest crowd ever was all star game when GORDIE was announced! GORDIE GORDIE GORDIE

[@LetsPlayPC]

This is one of my top five Red Wing moments. This was not just an exciting series, but it came after a couple of decades of miserable futility. Finally, we had a winner in Detroit again!

[@Tubewings]

This was only the second time a team came back to win the series after being down 3 games to 1. The first happened earlier in the 1987 playoffs, when the New York Islanders came back to beat the Washington Capitals. Yes, THAT series.

[@errbt]

Technically the 1942 Finals (Leafs over Wings) and 1975 First Round (Islanders over Penguins) also count, because, as comebacks from a 3-0 deficit, they each became 3-1 deficit comebacks after the eventual winning teams won their first game.

[@Tubewings]

There's a difference. As you just mentioned, coming back from a 3-0 deficit means that you win the remaining four games after losing the first three. Coming back from 3-1 means you only win one of the first three games before beginning the comeback in the fifth game.

[@errbt]

Yes, but one subset includes the other. Otherwise it would be kind of like saying that a list of 500 goal scorers should not include 600, 700, or 800 goal scorers, but just guys with 500-599. That's not the way sports stats lists normally work. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_teams_to_overcome_3%E2%80%931_series_deficits www.puckreport.com/2009/04/nhl-playoff-comebacks-trailing-3-1.html

[@Tubewings]

Regardless, I still count 3-0 and 3-1 deficits separately, because of when the comebacks started (game 4 for the 3-0 deficits, and game 5 for the 3-1 deficits). And I do include 600, 700, and 800 goal scorers in a 500 goal list. You can call me hypocritical, but that's just how I see it.

[@bb-gc2tx]

2:07 goaltending sure has come along way 🤣

[@austing.8870]

The music is beautiful

[@mangrove]

2:23 Tom Selleck??

[@scottdecker9115]

Yep. Steve Guttenberg as well.

[@oldredbarnman]

They were filming "Three Men And A Baby" at the time.

[@daved1535]

Tom Selleck rooting for the Leafs? Isn't he a Detroit Tigers fan?

[@MSU-DetroitFan]

11:28 what happened to him (I thought Al the Octopus was the Team's Mascot) Edit: His name is Red Winger Mr I used him as one of the way to get people to show up to games he was used from 1982 to 1987 (Jim Wilczak the guy who was Red Winger throw out the costume after he kept getting overheated in it plus the Wings got better so Mr I didn't worry about it) It wasn't until 1995 The Wings got a Mascot and we all know who he is

[@canuck_gamer3359]

What the hell did he call Dan Daoust at 1:02???

[@teddyjun1]

Was this from 1987 red wings yearbook?

[@MrChrisHonoway]

no it was from a VHS tape called "A Matter of Time"

[@Yzerman1991]

@@MrChrisHonoway *Just A Matter of Time"

[@BookOfJames1]

If this script was written now it would literally be an SNL skit.

[@leafyutube]

Exciting series, but at the end of the day, it was irrelevant. Edmonton next round!

[@doctorx3]

It was relevant in that it gave important playoff experience to Yzerman, Kocur, and Oates. It also delivered priceless entertainment to people who are still talking about this series over 30 years later. 😎

[@FACrazyCanuck]

Great highlights but the script writer wasn't a hockey fan.

[@monkhousefamily4468]

Mike Allison got the winner Game 4 to put them up 3-1

[@enicolson15]

The narrator is always so dramatic whenever he says John Brophy's name.

[@MSU-DetroitFan]

1987 the Year Detroit Owned Toronto Red Wings beat Maple Leafs in 7 Games Tigers beat Blue Jays to win the AL East

[@GuloGulo420]

Goaltending was so bad then 😂

[@stevejohnson1577]

Heavy leather pads vs the equipment today…lighter and easier to use

[@GuloGulo420]

@@stevejohnson1577 the technique is atrocious. You couldn't play like that in modern pads and be successful. It ain't the pads.

[@lakeeriesailor2852]

WTF?!? #29 Brad Smith of the Leafs is not one of the toughest guys in the league!! A frequent punching bag, a more talented version of Jeff Brubaker. Clark and McGill were the Leafs only tough guys in 87. Have to give credit to the Leafs for pushing the much tougher and more talented Red Wings to 7 games though! Detroit had begun its long climb to a Dynasty.

[@mike196212]

The Leafs tossed this one away. Frustrating but 93 was revenge.

[@dancolonna6590]

Man that goaltending was awful