Surprising Playoff Performers: Oilers' Fernando Pisani

Stars often get checked to death in the playoffs, giving way to surprising playoff performances from some lesser-known players, like Fernando Pisani in 2006.

The NHL playoffs are a different animal than the regular season where stars like Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov dominate the landscape. While most of these stars can bust through the tight checking in the postseason, they are focused on a lot more, which gives opportunities for the lesser-known players to shine and become playoff heroes.

In this series, we are going to look back at some unexpected performances from players who flew under the radar in the regular season but made a name for themselves in the playoffs. Starting with Fernando Pisani, who busted out to the tune of 14 goals and 18 points during the Edmonton Oilers’ run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.

Pisani’s Journey Before the 2006 Playoffs

Following a stellar season with the St. Albert Saints in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), where he put up 40 goals and 103 points, the Oilers selected Pisani in the eighth round of the 1996 NHL Draft. From there, he transitioned to Providence College in the NCAA where he played for four years and put up 56 goals and 153 points in 147 games.

After two seasons with the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Oilers’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate at the time, Pisani made his NHL debut against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Jan. 8, 2003, playing only two shifts for a total of 1:06 of ice time. He scored his first NHL goal on Feb. 5 against those same Mighty Ducks and finished with eight goals and 13 points in 35 games. He also played six games in the playoffs that year, scoring his first playoff goal in the Oilers’ first round series against the Dallas Stars.

Pisani became a full-time NHLer the following season and was a staple in the Oilers’ bottom-six in the two campaigns before the 2006 Playoffs. During the 2005-06 season, he scored a career-high 18 goals and 37 points in 80 games.

Pisani Emerges as an Unlikely Playoff Hero

The Oilers made the playoffs in 2006 as the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 41-28-13 record. Their opponent in the first round? The powerhouse Detroit Red Wings, who had just put together a 124-point season on the back of a 58-16-8 record.