Bits: After Dodging Choke, is Canucks' Status Restored?
by Dominik on Apr 27, 2011 10:42 AM EDT
in Bits o' Islanders News
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PrintNow that the Canucks narrowly escaped epic disaster by the narrowest of margins (a Game 7 OT winner off a turnover by one Chris Campoli), do the "chokers" and "no-clutch" obituaries go to the trash, their contender status restored? Or does giving up an equalizing shorthanded goal with two minutes left still feed those doubts? Close or not, the Canucks' play was fantastic last night, as only Corey Crawford's goaltending kept the Hawks in it.
When you think about it, Vancouver over Chicago in seven was no controversial prediction (it was my pick, and I avoid controversy like I avoid light beer). It was just the route they took that shocked one and all.
As alluded to yesterday, in 1975 a favored team choked away a 3-0 series lead to the Islanders, only to win in Game 7. That Philadelphia team went on to win that year's Stanley Cup. In a few weeks, we may look back on this as the worst adversity the Cup-winning Canucks faced. Or...we may look back on it as an omen of what was to come.
Tonight: Another Pair of 7th Games
So last night's Game 7s were hit and miss: The Flyers-Sabres was a dud, where the Flyers dominated an injury-ravaged Buffalo team throughout. The Canucks-Blackhawks game was a classic, though Vancouver controlled play and Chicago needed Crawford's show plus a very late shorthanded goal from Jonathan Toews just to force OT. It's a shame that Alexandre Burrows was the hero, but sticking to form he was the turnover goat on the Toews goal.
[SBN Post-Games: Second City mourns | Nucks Misconduct exhales]
Tonight could be more of the same: Both the Bruins-Canadiens and Penguins-Lightning series are liable to give us a tight one and lopsided let-down. Sadly, unlike last night they are not stacked back-to-back for ease of couch-lounging consumption. In the U.S., Versus gives B's-Habs preference and says it will join the other game "in progress." One last use for Center Ice and a very active remote control hand.
Links O' Plenty
File Under Funny: This time, Marian Gaborik swears, for sure, he's going to train harder.
World Championships: They begin Friday. Here is the full schedule. Milan Jurcina is one more Islander who will be there, playing in his home Slovakia.
Nino Niederreiter plays for Portland with his countryman Sven Bartschi, an intriguing prospect in this summer's draft. Based on his answers, there's a reason the Islanders cannot consider picking him though.
A cool look inside the work of Islanders trainer Garrett Timms.
SNY Point Blank interviews North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol on Islanders prospects The Reverend Brock Nelson and Jason Gregoire.
Active FanPosts around here: On to offer or not to offer sheet Zach Parise | On your latest vote for the 2011 Islanders top pick | And is it time to check back on how your LHH Playoff Pool picks are doing? So far I've lost one (Buffalo) and am at risk of losing another one or two tonight.
Hockey Prospectus for the Rest of Us: Was Patrick Roy "clutch" or just another in a long line of good players who we pretend possess magical clutchitude powers that elude the average bear? | Also: On teams who build around a pricey goalie...and a bit about Dwayne Roloson's hot spring.
A bit on Yannick Weber's versatility for the Habs...with a nod to Mark Streit once doing the same.
Brooks Orpik is a helluva guy. Wait, no I mean "competitor." He's a great "competitor."
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Canucks still have a lot to prove.
A #1 seed being pulled to OT by a #8 seed in Game 7, after being up 3 games to 0 is not really a way to shake the choker moniker. Plus, it’s only the 1st round. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed in what I saw. I was expecting much more from them.
Chris Campoli. lol.
I hope Tampa Bay destroys Pitt tonight. Here’s to hoping!
by Les Beaver on Apr 27, 2011 10:56 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I think they have much to prove
The thing I would say in their defense though is that Chicago was not your typical #8 seed. This was more like two top-four teams going at it. Seemed like Vancouver got their groove back in Games 6 and 7.
That OT last night was one of the fastest, most intense I’ve seen in a while.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
First RD game sevens (or 7s, or 7's) lol
I would not take too much stock into a no#1 seed being taken to a game seven by a #8 seed. Playoff upsets traditionally happen most in first rounds. Buffalo nearly upset Philly, granted it was a #2 vs. #7, but I think you get my point.
We are all Islanders, even if we are in Jersey!
by Russel Ginart on Apr 27, 2011 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, not so much that it was 1 v 8, but the Canucks are supposed to be so mighty mighty
and the Hawks, granted are a REALLY good 8th seed, but the Canucks still have a lot to prove. They didn’t prove much of anything in this series, if you ask me.
They beat the team
That has been their foil for the last two years. I think that proved something.
The Ottawa Senators of the early 2000s had some great teams, but they always fell to the Maple Leafs in the playoffs without fail. This had the possibility of becoming that and it didn’t.
It’s only the first round, but that was a huge, huge hump for this team to get over
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
"You can't come in my kitchen, kick my dog, and take a box full of ballpoints! Your ass must be crazy!"
Agree, it's a huge hump
but if they take a crap in the next series, it’s still trouble. It was a fantastic hard fought series! Unfortunately, Nashville looks strong, the Wings are always tough, and dare I say that Thornton has cast off some of the same demons as Luongo recently.
Trust me, I hear you, but just like this year with us beating the Pens to death, if we shit the bed against Buffalo the next game, it’s still not much. (If it’s any consolation here, my picks are Boston/Vancouver-Vancouver in 6).
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
BTW, off topic here
but I love that Grabs watched the game with both AMac and ROB SCHREMP. Hehe, guess Schremp’s back on LI till he can figure out his situation?
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
Heh, interesting
You know, Atlanta really didn’t use him the way I’d have expected them to if they were thinking about qualifying him. Maybe they think they know what they have anyway. Seems like a no-brainer to qualify him, as he’s cheap and if waived, nothing lost.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
Add this to the WCs
Rob Carlin
RobCarlinMSG Rob Carlin
As per @NYIslanders, Jesse Joensuu will play for Finland at World Championships.. #Isles..
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
Ahh, cool
I could’ve sworn I read something yesterday that he “didn’t make it” or something. But it seemed odd, b/c I thought it was all-invites. Good to hear.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
Just curious
Why is it a shame that Burrows was the hero? I don’t have any opinion on him and was wondering why you thought that. Is he on your list of Douchebaggery?
He is high on that list
Regardless of his encounters with Stephan Auger (who’s an awful ref), Burrows is an unrepentant diver and frequent cheapshot artist. Too many gross incidents on his resume for my liking.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
VAN GM: claimed that the Nucks were getting short-changed on penalty calls.
I decided to witness for myself if this in fact was true. So, I watched game seven in its entirety and here is my opinion on the matter.
Is it me or am I seeing things: Do the Black Hawks do an excellent job of “casually” interfering? From my perspective last night, I saw many times the Hawks “kind-of” get in front of a rushing Nucks forward (without the puck) and “kind-of” delay and interfere? Thoughts?
We are all Islanders, even if we are in Jersey!
Is there anywhere I can find the rosters for each team for the WCs?
I’ve seen Canada’s and the United States but not any other country.
The official rosters will be published here tomorrow. For now, I’ve read some previews, news articles with I guess more or less accurate/informative stuff concerning the rosters. Check this for Slovakia, Russia, Czech Republic, Finland.
Any video on the Ogilthorpe, err I mean Orpik incident?
Boucher seems like a classy guy, I’m sure he’s not whining.
Hard to see anything at all
But there’s a bit here in the clips at Raw Charge.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
Boucher?
Really, Brooks? With Dan Carcillo skating past the Buffalo bench after his goal and being a complete asshat – you twit on Brian Boucher? That’s like blaming some poor harried teenage barista because your triple-shot mocha latte costs $6.
(BTW – didn’t you love Carcillo sent off on a misconduct at the end of that game? A bunch of us at our rink saw that while we were waiting for the previous game to end, and laughed ourselves sick. We all agreed that the call was essentially “#13, orange, ten minutes for being Dan Carcillo.”)
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
Pretty sure he meant GUY Boucher (TB coach)
Carcillo was more of his disgraceful self last night though. Just hideous.
I hope you got to catch some of the Chi-Van game, because that one was just fantastic. If only it had ended in a shootout, then it would’ve been more exciting.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Reading Comprehension FAIL on my part.
I’ma give myself a misconduct now.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
also, I has a sad
Because I saw exactly zero of the game, save the highlights, because that’s when we were playing. Worse for our opponents, one of whom is a native Vancouverite and really wanted to watch the whole thing. Hope he DVR’d it.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
The Great Dane is snubbed yet again
No Selke nomination
"It's a good thing the Islanders spent the offseason compiling organizational depth on the blueline. Because, yes, they're losing defensemen almost as rapidly as they're losing games."
I mean
Datsyuk, Kesler and Toews all had incredible seasons. Datsyuk is one of the best two-way forwards of all time…Kesler was IMO the MVP of the Canucks this year and Toews is the youngest captain in the history of the NHL for a team that won the Stanley Cup last year.
Nielsen just isn’t there yet….wait until next year…and a full year with #grabsisfast
by edavidmorris on Apr 27, 2011 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
toews wasnt the youngest
“cry baby” crosby, the master of the dives, was the youngest captain to win the cup
SHOOT THE DAMN PUCK!!!
It's possible that he wasn't snubbed
He just wasn’t in the top three. I think that he still could have been nominated though. Does that sound right to anybody?
From Puck Daddy
Our Ballot
Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks
Patrice Bergeron(notes), Boston Bruins
Frans Nielsen(notes), New York Islanders
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
Nielsen was screwed because he was less than 50 percent on faceoffs (46.2) and because, well, he’s an Islander. But he led the team in shorthanded ice time (2:59), led the NHL in shorthanded goals with seven and was a great shutdown forward for them.Very underrated, but he’s also the kind of defensive forward that doesn’t seem to make the cut for this award.
The Selke’s been like the Norris for too long: Guys who defend, but also score. The last true defensive forward that won was Kris Draper(notes).
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
Copper & Blue
CopperandBlue Copper & Blue
My nominations for the Selke: Ward, Clutterbuck, Nielsen #Preds #MNWild #NYI
46 seconds ago
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
LeBrun recognizes Nielsen (ish...real breif mention)
http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/7331/burnside-and-lebrun-our-selke-winners
Burnside appears to vote based on…ahh who the eff know what.
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
so it's changing
Good to see that Frans is getting notice (in accordance with the prophecies), but Wysh is spot-on: pure shutdown guys are increasingly overlooked for Selke. This could be from the realization that creating a fair bit of offense is a good way to stop the other guys from scoring… but more probably, it’s like the Gold Gloves turning into the “We Really Like that Guy and He Can Hit” Awards. Even Frans – I’m convinced his candidacy also hinges on the seven shorties and his role in counterattacking. I think that’s a valuable asset in a defensive forward, but it’s a different asset than just being an effective secondary scorer who happens to also be good at draws and takeaways.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
That was an epic first round series
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Vancouver steam roll into the finals now. That was as tough a test as you can get.
or completely collapse
I seriously could see that going either way. Like how the Isles play after a Rags game or the Yanks play after a Boston series.
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
The way they played in Game 6 and Game 7 makes me think they're back
They got a 3-0 lead, thought they’d slayed the demon, took the foot off for two games, then woke up again. As long as they don’t die of a severe anxiety attack, I think they’ll be alright.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
How annoying is it
That Pens/Bolts isn’t televised. I’m pissed, I’d rather watch that than Bos/MTL. Why isn’t VS using both of those channels dammit!
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
You need to be in Canada
Every game, every night!
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
"You can't come in my kitchen, kick my dog, and take a box full of ballpoints! Your ass must be crazy!"
Can't stand it
MTL/Bos is going to be great, but to me, I want Roloson to win a cup, (or at least make it and be the man). The lightning are the Islanders to me right now.
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
You could
Also try to find a stream. Not the same as TV though
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
"You can't come in my kitchen, kick my dog, and take a box full of ballpoints! Your ass must be crazy!"
There is this though
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=561209&navid=DL|NHL|NHLNetwork
I’m not sure if this means the game will be broadcast for free, or you already have to be a subscriber, but I’m hoping it’s free. I would assume they would have been broadcasting whatever wasn’t on anyway right?
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
Team USA getting underway in Austria
But unfortunately, it looks to be in, um, German?
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
How'd you get that umlaut up there?
Aufwarmen…nice
Aufwarmen up this chair for you…Aufwarmen up your dinner sweetie.
Beendet, duundat! Weird how so many words (in different languages) have the same type of prefix/suffix/syntactic cues in them. Blame it on the Latin I guess.
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
Who can think of hockey at a time like this
What with all the Umweltverschmutzung.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
Pollution?
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
Ja
Just one of my favorite German words to say. Nice ring to it and a ridiculous German compound word bonus.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
German
Is a crazy language
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
"You can't come in my kitchen, kick my dog, and take a box full of ballpoints! Your ass must be crazy!"
German is awesome
yell anything in german and you can sound like you’re cursing someone out
SHOOT THE DAMN PUCK!!!
Funny story
I actually used that to shut up an entire summer camp of Eastern European teens who were kumbaya-ing in the hall of a hostel we stayed at in Salzburg. We’d been traveling all day, really needed rest, and had a room at the end of the hall. (The lightbulb at our end of the hall was out, which conveniently helped the effect of what I did next.)
Out of frustration, I went to our door, poked my head out, and just ranted in German-sounding jibberish for 10 seconds. Suddenly, 40 kids who were making a massive ruckus singing Monty Python songs fell immediately silent. Not another peep from them from the rest of the night.
But of course then the four of us couldn’t get back to sleep because we were laughing our asses off in our beds.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
sweet
At the risk of giving away my secrets… a lot of the foreign accented letters (umlauts, accents, et als) are available if you know the ASCII codes. Hold “ALT” and type a three-digit number on the keypad, let up the ALT key, and tada! You too can look urbane and classy:
ä – ALT+132
ë – ALT+137
ï – ALT+139
ö – ALT+148
ü – ALT+129
å – ALT+134
é – ALT+130
á,í,ó,ú – ALT+160,161,162,163
ç – ALT+135
There are others for tildaed letters, breve, caret… and wow am I easily amused.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
What if...
…I don’t know the ASCII codes and I’m lazy? Huh, then what?
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
Just copy and paste
The letters in that post!
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
"You can't come in my kitchen, kick my dog, and take a box full of ballpoints! Your ass must be crazy!"
Work out USE them shake weights!
We are all Islanders, even if we are in Jersey!
by Russel Ginart on Apr 27, 2011 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
USA Roster
http://www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=TU_01_03&ID=304032
Already down 2-0 after one period. Can’t tell who is in net.
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
should have freed Cody Rosen
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
by mikb on Apr 27, 2011 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Nice
(Although, he’s from Ontario.)
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
Didn't Clinton pass NAFTA in the 90s to make sure shit like that doesn't matter anymore?
Do we need to continue this racism against Canadians in the 21st Century? Set him free, let him play. Fight the Power, man.
by Les Beaver on Apr 27, 2011 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Just took the lead, 3-2 in 3rd
but we have our first “headshot” incident!
23:24 2 Min. 23:24 – 25:24 5 – STUART Mark (Checking to the head and neck Area)
23:24 10 Min. 25:24 – 35:24 5 – STUART Mark (Misconduct)
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
Not sure
but if I’m him, I wouldn’t play either with a new kid and no contract yet. He gets hurt, he’s kind of screwed.
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
Kid needs immunizations before he can travel internationally
so any travel plans are on hold for a few months and yeah, there’s the whole contract year+new family dynamic combo. Daddy doesn’t want to do anything to hurt himself or his paydays for the near future
highlights
Conklin was in net at the beginning and did concede both goals. Montoya came in later and made a pretty big save in the final minute to secure the win. Not sure if this works from outside of Austria – and if it’s worth a click anyway… – but in case you’re interested check this video for the highlights of the game.
Thanks man!
Going off of a German box score is murder!
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
SWEEEEET
At first I was pissed – How many times do I gotta hear Chris “Smurf” Kreider’s name…then I heard them mention Big Cubano Al, and THEN I heard music to my ears:
Only ONE NHL team was mentioned in that thick German accent: “Nyuu Yoohk Aylendas,”
(actually they said it pretty accent-free, nice job)
"Seriously that's the last time you guys f#@%ing won?" -RSH (about beating the Penguins in '93)
Montoya's highlight save
Did you notice it was against none other than Thomas Pock? I didn’t know he was Austrian, and I am assuming it is the same ex-Isle/Rag Thomas Pock
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
good assumption
Could the hockey world endure more than one Thomas Pock?
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
I may look stupid for asking this
but why are there no names on the jerseys?
"Mario Lemiuex… I used to respect you."- Turgeon1992
Hmm, I wonder why he got fined? Wonder how come others do not?
Darren Dreger
DarrenDreger Darren Dreger
Mike Gillis and the Canucks fined for his rant on officiating prior to game 7. Undisclosed amount, but significant.
45 seconds ago
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
who knows?
Gotta remember, Keith, it’s not the popular or the easy thing to do, fining a coach who criticizes your officials.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
@YOU GUYS DON’T WATCH PRESS CONFERENCES…HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED PRESS
CONFERENCES? YOU MUST HAVE NEVER SEEN A PRESS CONFERENCE BEFORE!@
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
Fail
where’s the frigging courier?
"Gervais...he looks danger in the fist with his face!" JPinVA
Website: Lighthousehockey.com Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
Where was that hockey prospectus article 5 years ago?
and I’ll make sure my Rangers fan friend gets that link….MUAHAHAHAHA…..
"It don't make you a bad person" - Ron Bennington
Great article by Matt Coller
He makes great points…but am I the only one who thinks that Corey Crawford was just as important to the Hawks in games 7 as Dave bolland was in games 4-6?
I guess my point is, yes average goaltending can get you fat with a stellar defense and some snipers, but those one or two oddball games where your opponents back is against the wall, and they are seething in the offensive zone, and your D is flat and caught off guard, that’s when you need extraordinary performances by your “average” netminder.
"Seriously that's the last time you guys f#@%ing won?" -RSH (about beating the Penguins in '93)
far not fat lol
"Seriously that's the last time you guys f#@%ing won?" -RSH (about beating the Penguins in '93)
WARNING
Average goaltending is high in calories and carbohydrates, and has been linked to hockey obesity.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
I thought Crawford was huge
…but maybe he’s turning out to be not an average goalie at all? Who knows.
Agree Crawford’s performance is exactly what you need in situations like that. I guess the challenge, as with so many players, is what level of consistency can you expect. He looked really sound to me, not relying on luck (like a DP shutout, ca. 2009-11).
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
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1979-80
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May 24, 1980: Tonelli to Nystrom. At long last, the steady build of the New York Islanders from expansion doormat to surprise semifinalist to annual contender reaches the promised land: Buoyed by a late season trade for Butch Goring that gave the team the depth up the middle GM Bill Torrey had been seeking, the Islanders knock off the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
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May 21, 1981: This time it was much easier. After falling to "only" 91 points in the 1979-80 season, the Islanders returned to their division title tradition, piling up 110 points -- a whole 13 points over second-place Philadelphia.
Between the quarterfinals (where they beat the upstart Oilers in six games) and the finals, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive wins -- with a four-game sweep of archrival Rangers in between. As they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in five games for their second Cup, their goal difference in the final was a combined +10.
1981-82
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May 16, 1982: Another year, another landslide title. The Islanders won the Patrick Division by a whopping 26 points over the second-place Rangers, and were seven points clear of their nearest competition for the President's Trophy, the still-not-quite-ripe Edmonton Oilers.
A first-round scare against the Pittsburgh Penguins turned in the Isles' favor thanks to John Tonelli's heroics, and a true dynasty was on its way: Past the Rangers in six games, then an eight-game sweep of the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks to run away with the Stanley Cup.
1982-83
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May 17, 1983: Not so fast, whipper-snappers. The Edmonton Oilers' steadily rising challenge for league supremacy took them all the way to the finals for the first time, where the New York Islanders summarily dispatched them in a four-game sweep. For the Islanders, the Dynasty was secured. For the Oilers, it was a powerful lesson in where talent ends and the demands of playoff hockey begin.
Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins (a record that would grow to 19 until the rematch with the Oilers the following year). Mike Bossy scored 60 goals yet again, and Wayne Gretzky became acquainted with Billy Smith's crease.
