In 1981–82, the Oilers rocketed up the standings, finishing with the second-best record in the NHL, behind only the Islanders. However, they took a pratfall in the first round of the playoffs when they were upset by the Los Angeles Kings in five games (game three of this series, now known as the "Miracle on Manchester", saw the Oilers take a 5–0 lead, only to lose 6–5 to the Kings in overtime). However, in the next season, the Oilers finished third overall advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals (losing only once in the process) before getting swept by the New York Islanders. During this season, Gretzky, Messier, Anderson and Kurri all topped the 100-point plateau, with Coffey not far behind at 96. After the season, Lee Fogolin resigned as captain of the Oilers, picking Gretzky as his successor.
