Hockey Prospectus: NYI system is 2nd Overall
"Through high picks and shrewd late round selections the Islanders have built a heck of a system with great upside and crazy depth. There were several quality prospects I left off the top ten just because of the system's depth. Considering the fact the Islanders have graduated names like Ty Wishart and Travis Hamonic and the other young players on the big club, the young talent in this organization is nothing short of elite. They have upside and depth at both skater positions, and have two quality young goalies in Kevin Poulin and Mikko Koskinen. There is no weakness to this system at all really, and a lot to love."
What's really interesting here is Kabanov ranked 2nd (above Nino).
10 months ago
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Yeah, he is a big fan of KK and always have been
Although looking at the list, I can certainly buy his upside is greater. Hope one of the puck-moving D-men really pays off though.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
just gotta produce on the ice
and stop being the proverbial doormats. It’s exciting stuff.
What the fish, stick?
Thanks
I really needed that.
STOP effin' messin' with my FnGO!!
by Nova Scotia Isles Fan on Aug 2, 2011 12:19 PM EDT reply actions
OUR BRIGHT PROMISED FUTURE IS HERE!
"We can't get pushed around," Haley said. "What commentators say about us, that's their job. My job is to try and limit as many people who want to take liberties with our guys as possible."
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Aug 2, 2011 12:31 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Is it Morning Yet....
Because the hangover from last night is a killer.
Seeing this little gift certainly raised my mood a bit. Snow and his scouting team have done a tremendous job rebuilding the organization slowly but surely. Seeing the accolades from bloggers is wonderful.
I like Kabanov. I thought he outplayed Nino is the prospects game. What caught my eye was his sharp passing. He absolutely needs to bulk up a little and improve defensively. But I look forward to the day when the three amigos reunite.
What is really interesting about this report is the guys we are expecting to compete for this season are bunched either up top – Nino and CDH or at the bottom of the list like Rahk and Casey. We are left with a wealth of players in the college ranks and juniors waiting to develop.
Can you image a line of Petrov, Lee and Nelson behind Strome, Nino and Kabanov? We could wind up with four killer lines…..
Overall, we have a deep player pool which will continue to allow us to add players two to three years down the road. Now if we can only find a home..
yep, and you'd have to move KO up to play with JT and Moulson, Neilson, Grabner and Sundstrom on another line
that is two top lines, plus two secondary lines, with no 4th line…but that is ok, b/c we’re loaded with guys like Ullstrom, Martin, Dibo and Cizikas too, who can be solid 4th liners down road, and obviously you can’t keep 12 highenders on one team with cap…
by CanadianIsleslifer on Aug 2, 2011 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Great to just be reading some positive hockey news!
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
And hopefully
Another state doesn’t have these team when these kids make a stacked NHL team. Or I’m gunna shove my fist so far in J Jacobs ass….
Constantly building for the future.
I think you meant J the Jackass or
maybe Jay the Fracking Jackass :)
In loving memory;Dad thanks for making us Islanders fans, ACC 1918-2011
Best line
Re: Scott Mayfield
I’ve even seen a time where he skated the puck around the entire offensive zone, a feat you don’t see normally from 6’4" defenders.
Someone’s been working on his COZOs! I guess this would be a MOZO?
I don't know the name...
but the face rings a bell…
COZO-MOZO the guy in charge of the goal song at the new coliseum!
Lighthouse Hockey: Home of the "STROME-BOLI"!
Don't forget to vote "YES" on Aug 1st!!!
by JPinVA on Aug 2, 2011 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
Kate Murray celebrates the referendum results with a hearty fistpump.
"He's depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot" - Mike Milbury on Ziggy Palffy's agent Paul Kraus.
by PGI on Aug 2, 2011 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
wtf
how is this not green already?
rec’d like a chair sat upon by KM
"..."
by Thaddeus Ballpheasant on Aug 2, 2011 9:19 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Maybe the best part
is the guys who couldn’t even make the list. Ullstrom, Cizikas, and DiBo. I could see any two of them being part of an amazing fourth line somewhere down the road. Garth really has done a great job taking the cupboards from bare to stocked by racking up darts. Hopefully now some of them stick.
Ahh
that was nice
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
Now I have to get my Webb jersey out of the closet...
That guy was such an inspiration. Was it Toronto that we were playing against when he came out and have 5 hits in one shift? I just remember hearing the coliseum sound like it was back in the early 80’s.
Can you imagine what Webb and Lapointe could do if they played on this Isles team? The thought of it gives me goosebumps.
"Look at my new clothes," said the Emperor to the Nassau County residents.
4th line?
"We can't get pushed around," Haley said. "What commentators say about us, that's their job. My job is to try and limit as many people who want to take liberties with our guys as possible."
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Aug 2, 2011 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Ummm no.
Seriously, that’s not something worth joking about. That was total douchebaggery and not in any way something good.
Especially since you’ve captured the taunting part.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
you'll get over it.
"We can't get pushed around," Haley said. "What commentators say about us, that's their job. My job is to try and limit as many people who want to take liberties with our guys as possible."
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Aug 3, 2011 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I won't
Dude, really. If we’re justifiably mad when our guys get injured by dirty play, we can’t go around celebrating when it happens to other guys. And we especially can’t get all high-and-mighty about other teams’ hypocricy (such as Sad Mario with Matt Cooke) while being hypocritical.
Gillies crossed the line here. This is the part that we shouldn’t ever celebrate or make light of.
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 Aug 3, 2011 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I don't think i celebrated anything. lets not get crazy.
"We can't get pushed around," Haley said. "What commentators say about us, that's their job. My job is to try and limit as many people who want to take liberties with our guys as possible."
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Aug 3, 2011 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Not let the other team score?
We could definitely use that.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Aug 8, 2011 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions
No Goaltenders? Poulin or Nilson
In loving memory;Dad thanks for making us Islanders fans, ACC 1918-2011
We nearly have enough NHL viable prospects to fill a second team.
Things are going to be real exciting in a couple of years.
Vote Yes on August 1st.
Colorado Revenge
People in Quebec are thinking… Karma is AWESOME!!!!
Lighthouse Hockey: Home of the "STROME-BOLI"!
Don't forget to vote "YES" on Aug 1st!!!
Send them the Devils instead.
The Devils then take the Nordique record books back up with them and the Colorado Avalanche can take back the Rockies and Scouts record books. Phoenix takes Atlanta’s records and Winnipeg gets Phoenix’s. Soon everything will be back in place.
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
On a serious note...
WTH are the Coyotes going to do next year? Who else has an open arena besides K.C., which has no owner? Canada could be all filled up by 2015.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
I quit baseball when my Exbo's fled Montreal
I’m too young to be as old ’n crusty ’n bitter as I will be if I lose my Islanders as well. At least keep ’em in N.Y. so it still feels alright.
This IS the year.
If the Coyotes leave, I'd imagine the Isles are staying.
They’ve been Bettman’s pet cause for years, but if they leave, he’ll have room for a new one.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
Prospects are crucial....BUT only one part of the equation
I still don’t think we have an adequate player development system. Now’s gotta be the time for CW to pony up and broaden the player development staff, to really give the players, esp at the AHL/NHL level, everything they need to reach their potential. As excited as I am about our players, I just fear that the Isles aren’t doing enough to have them reach their best, or to play beyond their capabilities. Hurried callups, forward position roulette, better mentors as players or coaches, chronic underachievement and plateauing, better training/medical staff—these must be addressed. I can’t fault CW for much for what he’s been and spent and attempted, but he has a golden opportunity to really build something special and he better not screw it up with excessive thrift.
I wont disagree
to the sentiment that better development is needed at the AHL and NHL level, but I do think it directly has to do with a farm system that is only now being restocked after years of void. The only reason AHL call ups were being done on fresh players, is because, they were the only ones available at the time.
Finally we can go into a year where players from our past drafts actually have experience at the AHL level and will serve as much better call ups and push for jobs then previously. We will not have to rely on a fresh crop of first season AHLers anymore. We do not have to rely on bring junior players up directly.
I think they did a good job on the coaching changes for the Soundtigers and Islanders. The coaches know how to work with youth, but can still command respect of older players. That in-itself is already better player development.
We are never going to have a top tier development system
Not without a huge increase in revenue. But they have done good with the resources they have. They tend to stick with the same programs on the junior and college level. Denver seems to be a favorite. North Dakota. Maybe Notre Dame now. Our ECHL affiliate is real good. Kalamazoo did a great job with AMac. I think they will improve BPT now that there are good prospects down there (really no reason to overspend on development when most of the guys are grinders and journeymen). Having Weight around for development will be big. Rolston should add some good vet presence. It certainly could be better but I think we are heading in the right direction there.
Vote Yes on August 1st.
This was a nice gift
Looking at the list and the write up, the future is definitely bright even if only a quarter of these players pan out to anything. Its a good group of players with some exceptional talent and great balance between D and forwards. Not to mention all the players not on that list.
like the comments...but no Brock Nelson in top 10? Come on...and no way Rahk and Ness are top 10
ok, so guys like Wishart are not counted, and guys like JT, Grabner, KO, Hamonic and Amac are “graduated”….
even the top 10, tom-ato -— tom – aaato - for the most part, but the top 10 overall….
no way Rahk and Ness are on that list…
by CanadianIsleslifer on Aug 2, 2011 4:54 PM EDT reply actions
interesting goalies are not included in the top 10 either
Poulin and Anders Nilsson would also be on that list…
by CanadianIsleslifer on Aug 2, 2011 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
In my opinion, the Hockey Prospectus guy writing those articles consistently downplays the value of goalie prospects. I didn’t agree with his rankings of the best Kings goalie in the farm system, either.
To give some idea of how little he values young goalies, in his 2011 draft preview he had the top goalie prospect ranked 98th, and said he only put him there because he disliked all the remaining forward/D prospects so much. That prospect was actually drafted in the second round.
In Dinglebarn We Trust -- JftC
He did mention Poulin & Mikko as good prospects
Vote Yes on August 1st.
Golies are beyond insanely unpredictable
and have a failure rate so high that predicting them is near impossible. That’s why goalie prospects are ranked so low – sure upside can be super high, but in reality, the failure rate is so high that to put them in a top 10, which gives them clear value, is a risky proposition.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
Ness looked pretty good at the scrimmage
Rakh too. Rakh probably has a lower ceiling but he is closer to NHL ready. I personally think Nelson is top 5 right now but it all depends what you are grading.
Vote Yes on August 1st.
The scrimmage is of near zero value in judging prospect value.
Tiny Sample size in a scrimmage in which the players aren’t able to truly play hockey as they normally would. Totally bunk.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
Ahh, the Top 25 under 25 is gonna be Fuunnnnn.
Already did my ranking, and have to agree; Nelson much higher and Ness and Rahk… down the list. My criteria, you are anothers team G.M. And given a choice between the two as part of a trade package. Who do you choose?
This IS the year.
Please don't use prospect camp as an example for why Nelson is clearly top 10.
Note that he doesn’t deny Nelson’s potential, but he’s still quite far away.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
I agree with the writer that Nelson is not top ten
The writer obviously favored skill and upside over polish and NHL- readiness, which is how prospects should be ranked. This is why Kaby was ranked ahead of Nino. With that in mind Nelson was never considered someone who had elite upside. We drafted him to be a third line forward. Nelson had a decent freshman year but didn’t do anything to alter his upside. He’s a good prospect and I have no problem with Garth taking him with a first round pick, but his upside is nowhere near most of the forwards on the top ten. I guess you could argue he is more deserving of someone like Ness but in the end ranking prospects is a very ahard thing to do.
Errr huh?
I think you have it backwards. Nelson was considered someone with high potential….but he was REALLY REALLY Raw.
Pronman still thinks he’s very raw. His upside is not third line forward but higher.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
i'm with Garik on this one Mathew, no offense but your in left field on this one...
can’t believe i am agreeing with Garik lately, but let be honest, Nelson was lights out offensively dominate, and physically dominate too in his draft year. His ceiling is two-way physical second line centre, 3rd line is more of a basement…the knock on Nelson in his draft year was the quality of competition he faced…he played his rookie NCAA year last year, on a very good team. He was slowly worked in. His stats as a result looked unwhelming to say the least at the start, but then he took off. Not to mention, he has since added muscles and mass.
Fact is, Isles depth charts with kids who age wise are still prospects, and prospects still in the system is actually even better than Detriot or anyone else, when you include all players under 25. That said, no matter who does the analysis, some will favour others over others for various reasons. Reality is, Nelson is generally ranked much higher but others compiling depth scouting reports.
by CanadianIsleslifer on Aug 3, 2011 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions
You say anything about a prospect, and fans are going to disagree
I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that of any two members here it was you guys who commented- not that I am surprised you disagree, just that I would think that you know there is so much open interpretation when talking about prospects it’s really not fair to quibble over one person’s opinion. I don’t think Brock Nelson has elite upside compared to most of the other forwards in the group. Strome, Kabanov and Nino are prospects who most consider to have top six potential. I wouldn’t put Brock Nelson is that category. I thought he was drafted to be a two-way second or third line center. He was drafted out of high school so it was really hard to determine what his ultimate projection might be, but I don’t remember anyone saying he had first line potential. He had a good freshman year and UND, but again, I’m not sure he showed elite potential. Again, since we are talking about prospects it’s important to note that really we can’t be sure and he could turn into a great first line center or never reach the pros.
Brock Nelson was a bad example for the Upside versus NHL readiness point I was making because he is far off and does have good upside. I’m dissapointed in myself for using him as an example and also not fleshing out a bit what I was trying to say. I just don’t get why we are telling each other we are wrong about prospects, I mean.. they’re prospects for pete’s sake. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not at all offended or anything and you make excellent points, it’s just one of those things where everyone is going to have their own opinion.
it's opinion Matthew
if there was consensus all the time, that would be boring…the fact that ppl can agree most of the time, and disagree others, even having healthy debate is well, healthy. Brock was projected as a 2nd line centre. That is top 6 ceiling. Kabby is also projected as 2nd line winger, but as he is a playmaker who can score some, and a covetted right shot on a team sorely lacking right shooting forards, if Kabby makes it, he will no doubt play his share with JT, Strome, Nino, Grabs and any other goal scorer…I admit though, Nelson and Lee together is one helluva fantasy i hope materializes, and of course, we draft a big huge right winger who can skate and play with the stars, and fight…that is the guy i want with Nelson and Lee…
by CanadianIsleslifer on Aug 4, 2011 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Absolutely
I guess there is so much open interpretation about prospects I felt the responses to my original post were a bit dismissive and missed the point I was making- but that was my fault and I admitted that Brock was a bad example. What is fun about prospects is that their is so much open speculation about who they may become and I love that. I think part of the misunderstanding here comes down to semantics. Yes, Brock has a ton of upside. I felt though he doesn’t belong in the same tier as Kabanov, Strome and Niederreter. Obviously I’m not completely alone in thinking this- the author of the article didn’t include Nelson is the top ten.
OK, first off, we are talking about prospects so relax a little with the
’you’re wrong, this is who he is’ stuff. Fans jump all over the authors of articles like this and need to be reminded that when talking about prospects everyone has different opinions on a player’s potential. It’s all discussion and analysis and guesswork until they hopefully reach the NHL. I agree Brock is very raw, if I didn’t say that in my post above I should of. He was drafted out of High School so it’s harder to project what kind of player he will be. I remember reading that he had good offensive skills to go with a good defensive game. He put up good numbers but to me that is meaningless at that level of play. I watched him quite a bit last year with UND and really liked what I saw but as of yet I didn’t high end offensive potential. It’s very hard to say because he was, like you said, very raw and was a freshman on a very deep team. My opinion is that at this point his likely ceiling is second line center with a floor of third line center, but again, projecting Brock is hard at this point in his career and next year will be a big year for him, seeing how he performs with increased ice-time.
Really the point I was making was about upside versus polish, and how prospects should be ranked. If you go to hockeysfuture you will see a lot of guys high on there ranking lists simply because they are close to being NHL ready. Its hard to balance both this things when evaluating prospects. I have no idea what kind of upside Garth thought Brock had when he drafted him. In the end I will admit that Brock was probably a bad example for upside versus polish/NHL readiness.
btw
in the origional post I never said Brock was polished or close to NHL ready, just that since the author favored upside it would make sense why guys like Kabanov, Strome and Niederreter are ranked higher. Since I mentioned polish in the post I can see how it could be misinterpreted or extrapolated that I was saying Brock was a polished prospect.
but why is that a problem?
it is good for fans to read, comment and debate…we always learn from each other, and sometimes, fans know their franchise better than experts who write about every team.
by CanadianIsleslifer on Aug 4, 2011 10:40 PM EDT up reply actions
It's not a problem
I felt that Brock Nelson was left off the top ten because he lacks the high offensive potential of other forwards on the list. It’s absolutely fine to disagree with that. I didn’t say anything about Brock’s NHL readiness. If you are going to write a short, dismissive response to my post at least read it and see what I am saying. It wasn’t so much your response as it was garik’s and it’s not like his offended me or anything, I was just saying that we are talking about a kid drafted out of high school with just one year of NCAA under his belt, so his ceiling is largely unknown. A lot of what I have read and from what I’ve seen of Brock too me he seems to have the skill-set of a third line center- a strong two way game to go with offensive upside. It’s not a big deal. I thought that most saw him as a best case 2nd line likely case 3rd line center and from your other post I think that is what you are saying too. It’s just sometimes we think we disagree with someone and tell them they are wrong but when we see what they were actually saying we find we are on the same page.
Watching his North Dakota games and the WJC...not just prospect camp
Ness I was talking about camp because I haven’t seen much of him as yet. But Nelson I’ve seen a bunch of games. He was playing a bottom six role for the first half or so of the season (which was to be expected given ND’s depth). But he started getting the offense going later in the season. He looks like he will be a very good two way center. He uses his reach real well all the times I’ve seen him. Very good at picking pockets on the forecheck. Next year we should get a clearer picture of where his game is headed but, just as my opinion, I think he’s going to take a big step forward.
Vote Yes on August 1st.
Yeah I also watched quite a few ND games
and Brock looked really good. He skates well for a big guy and took to his assigned role perfectly. Brock was drafted out of High School so it was hard to determine what kind of upside he had and stepping onto such a deep college team he was relegated to a bottom six role as a rookie. This year will be big and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take a big step forward either. It will be interesting to see he responds to increased ice time and power-play time.
In the meantime..........
Our present group of goalies who are currently in line to play with the big club are a big question mark due to recent injuries from which they are in various stages of recovery. We need a real # 1 at the start of the season and a top 4 D or IMO they will finish near the bottom in the East. A great crop coming up and an excellent offensive is not near enough to even make a run at the play-offs. If we fall way back the first month or two – we will be playing before poor crowds and this will not be a plus for any kind of campaign to retain the team.
We have 3 top 4 D-Men.
As for the goalie situation, that’s for preseason to figure out. My guess is that Nabakov starts until Poulin comes up full time.
But we’ll see.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
It will sort itself out
Also, with Streit coming back and the emergence of A-mac and Hamonic I think our defense is maybe better than it might seem. I think Wishart is a legitmate top four defender who is ready for full time NHL playing time. I try not to worry about goaltending because there are always decent journyman starters floating around capable of providing league average goaltending, and any of our current goaltenders on the team and in the system could step up the way Montonya did last year- goalies are strange and don’t follow normal devolopment routes and previously unheralded guys can turn into stud number 1 goalies. Meanwhile established veteren starters get injured or all of sudden suck, It’s not worth worrying about because its all such a crapshoot.
Sigh
all this does is make me want to see them with the team now…not 3 years from now.
"..."
by Thaddeus Ballpheasant on Aug 2, 2011 9:23 PM EDT reply actions
Casey Cizikas?
How is Ness on here but there is no love for Casey?
"Look at my new clothes," said the Emperor to the Nassau County residents.
Yeah, under extra notes.
Cizikas > Ness.
"Look at my new clothes," said the Emperor to the Nassau County residents.
by metalcoconut on Aug 3, 2011 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Another point of interest, if Detriot is ranked first, and Isles second...
Detriot has the luxury of depth, whereas yet the Isles do not. this of course, has resulted in many young players who would other wise still be prospects, playing on Isles NHL squad, while players from the same drafts as Detriot are still in the minors or juniors…
if 25 is the average prime age, maybe all players under 25 should still be considered prospects…
by CanadianIsleslifer on Aug 3, 2011 2:47 AM EDT reply actions
Slowly but surely
Step by step…inch by inch we are building a credible organization from top to bottom. You are right Detroit does have the luxury of depth but we seem to be following their model and building a team for the long haul. If we manage this right we will have a talent pool adding players to the AHL and NHL lineup for the next two to three years. And if we continue to draft wisely that bar can be consistently pushed forward.
In spite all of the criticism this organization has received from the media and blogsphere we are moving in the right direction.
it's interesting that no one remembers Detriot actually followed the Dynasty Isles plan...
even hired senior Isles managers like Jimmy D…and the team never looked back
by CanadianIsleslifer on Aug 3, 2011 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Neil Smith too.
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
Good Catch
I completely forgot how Jimmy D transformed the then Dead Wings and put them on the map. Imagine if Jimmy D was Torrey’s successor……instead of Maloney for example….
Okay…we have come full circle….once again the team is limited by finances and the arena.
i remember back in the old 21 team league
Leafs made the playoffs one year with only 54 points…b/c Detroit sucked so bad they only had 40 – something points…i think both set records that year if i remember correctly, Detriot for least points, Leafs for least points by a playoff team.
by CanadianIsleslifer on Aug 5, 2011 8:10 AM EDT up reply actions
and yet the Wings missed on the chance to hire Jankowski.
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
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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.
