1985-86 NHL regular season standings
Playoff teams in BOLD
Adams Division
Quebec Nordiques 108 points
Hartford Whalers 107 points
Boston Bruins 88 points
Detroit Red Wings 84 points
Toronto Maple Leafs 81 points
Buffalo Sabres 78 points
Montreal Canadiens 72 points
Patrick Division
Washington Capitals 104 points
New York Islanders 94 points
Cincinnati Stingers 90 points
Philadelphia Flyers 79 points
Atlanta Flames 78 points
New York Rangers 64 points
Snythe Division
Seattle Thunderbirds 106 points
Los Angeles Kings 97 points
Edmonton Oilers 87 points
Calgary Wranglers 80 points
Vancouver Canucks 74 points
San Diego Penguins 57 points
Norris Division
St Louis Blues 112 points
Houston Aeros 110 points
Colorado Rockies 100 points
Winnipeg Jets 92 points
Minnesota North Stars 63 points
Chicago Black Hawks 50 points
The Washington Capitals entered the 1985-86 season determined to prove their success the previous season was no fluke. Capitan Mark Messier led the charge for the Caps as they once again took top spot in the Patrick Division with 104 points. Soviet deflect Vladislav Tretiak also enjoyed a breakout year, setting a new team record with eight shutouts. Meanwhile, the New York Islanders began to decline, finishing second once again with 94 points, while Cincinnati returned to the playoffs thanks to big performances from Larry Murphy and Luc Robitaille. The Flyers just barely edged out the Atlanta Flames on the final day of the regular season, finishing ahead of Atlanta by one point, while the Rangers endured one of the worst seasons in franchise history with only 64 points.
In the Adams, the defending conference champion Quebec Nordiques were eyeing a repeat. With 108 points, the Nordiques were the top team in the Whales while Phil Housley took home top defenseman honours, and Peter Stasney led the team with 102 points, fifth in the league. The Nords trailed Hartford by just one point heading into their final game against Buffalo. After the Whalers lost to Toronto, Quebec had an opportunity to seal top spot. The Sabres, long out of the playoff picture and playing spoiler, held a 2-0 lead over Quebec heading into the third period. Goals from Stasney and JC Trembley tied the game to send it to overtime, where Risto Jalo beat goaltender Don Beaupre to win the game and clinch first place for the Nordiques.
Once again, the Norris was dominated by St Louis, Houston, and Colorado. The Blues finished first in the league, thanks to another big year from Wayne Gretzky, who scored 74 goals. The Houston Aeros also enjoyed another strong year, coming in second with Guy Carbonneau and Dave Andreychuk leading the way offensively while Chris Chelios steady play on the blueline made them a tough team to play against. The Colorado Rockies, in their first year in the Norris fell to third place, while Winnipeg came in fourth.
In San Diego, the Penguins first home game in their new city was not quite as successful. Facing the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Pens never got into the game, losing 9-0. They would be shut out again by Houston in game two before finally redeeming themselves in their second home game with a 3-2 win against Minnesota. Tom O'Regan scored the first goal in San Deigo Penguins history, and the fans gave their new team a standing ovation in the final minutes of the game. It would be one of the only bright spots in the Penguins inaugural season, as the team finished the year one of the worst in the league. In his first season in Seattle, Guy LaFluer lead the T-Birds to another first place finish in the Snythe Division. Los Angeles and Edmonton fished 2nd and 3rd respectively, while the Calgary Wranglers made the playoffs for the first time in team history. "We feel like we can surprise a lot of people." Said Rob Ramage. "It's going to be quite a playoff year."
Comments apricated! How did your team do?
