Highest-scoring NHL teams in a Stanley Cup Playoff series

By Ryan Gagne

Modified Apr 27, 2024 20:51 GMT

The Stanley Cup playoffs usually feature the best-on-best competition the NHL offers.

However, some teams are built for success and rewrite the league's record book while achieving their destinies as Stanley Cup champions.

These teams, with their exceptional offensive skills, not only battled for their place in the record books but also left a trail of shattered hopes by scoring an overwhelming number of goals in just seven games or less.

Let's look at the highest-scoring teams in a Stanley Cup playoff series, and if you know and love NHL history, the names on this list won't be a surprise.

Highest-scoring NHL teams in a Stanley Cup Playoff series

Montreal Canadiens - 33 goals (1973)

The highest-scoring Stanley Cup Final occurred in 1973 when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.

Stan Mikita, Chicago Blackhawks

Moreover, the highest-scoring Stanley Cup Final game to date was Game 5, which ended with an 8-7 Chicago victory. This win prolonged the series for an extra contest before Montreal won the series on home ice on May 10, 1973.

Hall of Famers Yvan Cournoyer (12), Jacques Lemaire (12), and Frank Mahovlch (11) led all players in scoring, while another Hall of Famer, Stan Mikita, led the Blackhawks in scoring with eight points, tied with Pat Stapleton.

Philadelphia Flyers - 33 goals (1976)

As two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Philadelphia Flyers were taken the distance in their opening round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, winning in Game 7.

At the time, the franchise matched the Canadiens for most goals in a single series with 33, never scoring less than three goals in any contest.

Despite the list of Hall of Famers in the series, only Reggie Leach reached double digits in points (11) while leading all skaters with six goals.

Boston Bruins - 33 goals (1983)

The Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres have had some memorable playoff series.

However, their 1983 seven-game series in the Adam Division Finals is one of the NHL's highest-scoring playoff matchups.

Interestingly, the Bruins did all their scoring in the first five games (27), netting only six goals in the final two contests, including a series-winning Game 7 overtime victory.

Three Boston players, Rick Middleton (19), Barry Pederson (16) and Ray Bourque (10), reached double digits, while Middleton had 14 assists, almost as many points as the Sabres' top three scorers combined (18).

Edmonton Oilers - 33 goals (1984)

The Oilers make their first appearance on the list, beating up on their provincial rivals, the Calgary Flames, in a wild 1984 Smythe Division Final.

This series occurred during the Edmonton dynasty in the 1980s, so it's no surprise that Wayne Gretzky was the series' leading scorer, with 14 points in seven games.

Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, Edmonton Oilers

In addition to Mark Messier, who reached 11 points, Calgary had more double-digit scorers, including Hall of Famers Lanny McDonald (13), Al MacInnis (12) and Paul Reinhart.

Chicago Blackhawks - 33 goals (1985)

The Blackhawks played the Minnesota North Stars in the 1985 Norris Division Finals. Before their epic showdown with the Oilers in the third round, they scored 33 goals against the North Stars in six games.

Chicago won this series by scoring at least four goals in every contest, while Denis Savard led the team in scoring with 12 points.

Meanwhile, Minnesota's Tony McKegney also had 12 points with seven goals to lead all scorers in the series.

Los Angeles Kings - 33 goals (1993)

En route to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1993, Gretzky led the Los Angeles Kings over his familiar nemesis in the first round of the playoffs, the Flames.

Between Game 1 and 4, Los Angeles scored 15 goals before burying Calgary with 18 goals in the final two games to secure a 4-2 series win.

Flames' forward Theo Fleury led all players in scoring with 12 points, two more than Gretzky, who had 10.

Edmonton Oilers - 35 goals (1983)

A season before claiming their first Stanley Cup title, the Oilers set an NHL record for most goals in a playoff series, beating the Flames for 35 goals in five games.

By the time Calgary won a game, Edmonton was up 3-0 in the series, outscoring them 21-6. The Flames edged the Oilers 6-5 in Game 4, but the finale belonged to Gretzky and company with a 9-1 win in Game 5.

Unsurprisingly, 'The Great One' scored 14 points, while four other players scored more than five. Meanwhile, only Paul Reinhart had more than five points for the Flames, who scored just 13 goals in five games.

Calgary Flames - 35 goals (1995)

The Flames avenged their embarrassing 1983 series by scoring 35 goals against the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 season.

As of 2024, they remain the last team to approach 35 goals in a single playoff series almost 30 years ago.

However, Calgary is the only team in NHL history to score over 33 goals and lose their series, falling to San Jose in seven games.

Despite averaging five goals a game, they fell to a young Sharks team in double overtime in Game 7.

Fleury led the team in scoring again with 14, while no one in the San Jose lineup could mustard more than seven points.

Edmonton Oilers - 44 goals (1985)

The Oilers take the top spot on this list, scoring 44 goals in six games against the Blackhawks in the 1985 Clarence Campbell Conference Final.

Wayne Gretzky at the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic

In the first game, Edmonton won 11-2 and followed that up with a 7-3 victory in Game 2. Chicago evened the series in Games 3 and 4 but then surrendered 18 goals in the final two contests to lose in six games.

Even though Savard had 10 points for the Blackhawks to lead the team in scoring, he would have been the fifth-highest scorer with the Oilers.

As expected, Gretzky led all scorers with 18 points, while Jari Kurri (15), Glenn Anderson (14), and Paul Coffey (14) reached double digits. Kurri set the NHL record for most goals (12) in a Stanley Cup playoff series against the Blackhawks.