Two decades ago, Fernando Pisani was today's Brett Howden. The Edmonton Oilers forward's remarkable 2006 playoff run, which saw him score 14 goals in 24 games, is being compared to Brett Howden's current performance for the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Everything Pisani touched for the Oilers during that 2006 playoff run to the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes seemed to go in. While he had 14 goals on 49 shots, five of those were game-winners, including a memorable shorthanded goal in overtime in Game 5 against goaltender Cam Ward. That goal extended the series to seven games.
Pisani, now 49, recalls the support he received from the Italian community in Edmonton. 'Yeah, but that was 20 years ago. I think people have forgotten. The city and the restaurants have changed a lot since then,' he laughed.
Pisani's playoff performance was extraordinary: 14 goals (11 at even strength, three on the power play) after scoring 18 goals in 80 regular-season games. His shooting percentage skyrocketed from 13.7% in the regular season to an incredible 28.6% in the playoffs. At the time, there was speculation that Pisani might challenge Jari Kurri's and Reggie Leach's playoff record of 19 goals.
Now, winger Brett Howden, who has three game-winning goals for the Golden Knights, is channeling Pisani. Both players are similar in age—Pisani was 29 in 2006, Howden is 28 now—and both are typically third-line players. The comparisons in their production are striking.
'Every year you're waiting to see what guy is going to take the next step where you're not expecting it. That's the fun part of the playoffs. Good for Howden,' said Pisani, who had 87 career goals in 462 regular-season games, while Howden has 74 in 462 games.
In the playoffs, it seems like they've transplanted Kurri's hands onto Pisani and Leach's onto Howden. Pisani explained his own success: 'Combination of a lot of things, little bit of luck, good linemates, everything just aligned, and as a player that's what you're hoping for and when it does, it's a ride.' He credited linemates Mike Peca and Raffi Torres, who had 11 points each, for creating opportunities.
Like Howden, who is scoring on nearly 40% of his shots, Pisani felt the gods were cheering for him. 'I tried not to think about it. It's no different from any player when your confidence is really high, your job is to get pucks to the net. They kept going in, and yeah, I was having a blast with it,' admitted Pisani.
Howden, who had 12 goals in 58 regular-season games, has matched Pisani's 14 goals but in only 20 playoff games on just 37 shots for the Golden Knights. While Howden has 14 goals—11 at even strength and three shorthanded—his teammate Jack Eichel has only two goals on 49 shots despite playing more minutes.
