May 31, 1987...Flyers Lose To Edmonton, 3-1

Ron Hextall is just one of five players who have won the Conn Smythe Trophy as members of teams that have lost in the Stanley Cup Finals (also Reggie Leach in 1976).

On this date in 1987, the Flyers lost to the Oilers in Edmonton, 3-1, in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. With the win, the Oilers won the series, four games to three, and captured their third Cup in four seasons.

For the first time in the series, the Flyers
scored the first goal of the game as Murray Craven gave the Flyers an early first-period 1-0 lead on a power play goal at 1:41.

Mark Messier would score a goal at 7:45 of the first period to tie the score at 1-1.

Single goals in both the second and third periods (by Jari Kurri and Glenn Anderson) gave the Oilers the 3-1 victory.

Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after registering a 15-11 record, 2.77 GAA and two shutouts in 26 games. His 1,540 minutes played set a new NHL record for most minutes played by a goaltender in one playoff year. He became the fourth player in NHL history to win the award as a member of a team that lost in the Stanley Cup Finals.

This series was the first Stanley Cup Finals to go the full seven games since the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks played seven games in 1971.