Hockey and sports in general can be broken down into moments. Some moments are bigger than others and chart the course of a franchise. Some will even change the course of an entire league. These moments can define a team’s destiny for years to come. Last Word on Hockey’s Summer series looks at these defining moments. Today, we feature the biggest defining moment of the New York Islanders.
Top New York Islanders Defining Moments in Team History
The New York Islanders have had a handful of respectable seasons over the last few years. While they missed last year, they have made the playoffs in five of the previous seven seasons. These playoff runs have seen them in the conference finals twice during back-to-back seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21. The respectable years did not come without their hardships in the late 90s, where they missed the playoffs in seven straight seasons. Also in the mid-2000s, they missed in five consecutive seasons.
The franchise’s best times came in the 1980s when they had one of the greatest dynasties in sports. With four Stanley Cups to their name, that leads to plenty of memorable happenings. Let’s take a look at the New York Islanders defining moments in team history.
The Dynasty
Even after 30 years, these times will always be what defines the New York Islanders. The Islanders of the 1980’s are the last NHL team to win more than two consecutive Stanley Cups and the only team to win 19 playoff series in a row. Forget winning just two consecutive Stanley Cups; these guys won four in a row.
This juggernaut of a team was led by their core, which included a handful of Hockey Hall of Famers like Mike Bossy, Clark Gillies, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, and Bryan Trottier. They were a special group with a loaded roster, and they did something nobody has been able to replicate.
The Run Up
Before they went on a run of winning Stanley Cups, they were among the league’s better teams. Qualifying for the playoffs in the previous five seasons in a row before their first Cup win. The 1978-79 season was a great one for the team, finishing 51-15-14 in the regular season. However, it ended with a defeat to the New York Rangers in the second round. Following that season, general manager Bill Torey knew he needed to make a move to help the team make the next step. He felt the team was a piece away, and it came in the form of Butch Goring. He was acquired at the deadline in the 1979-80 season and helped push the team over the hump. Goring recorded 19 points in 21 games during that playoff run.
The Moment
May 24th, 1980, Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers. This is the date that made Long Island the center of the hockey universe. After breezing through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Islanders lost just four games heading into the final. This was their chance to write their name in the history books, and they did not hesitate to take it.
This goal scored by Bob Nystrom is perhaps the most important moment in Islanders history. This took them from an expansion doormat team to a surprise semifinalist to an annual contender, finally to the top of the mountain. While many fans today were not alive to see this, it has been replayed so much to where it is burned into their hearts.
The Aftermath
What came after Bob Nystrom’s overtime winner was only the greatest run for a franchise in sports history. They followed this 1979-80 Stanley Cup with three more in a row after it. Winning the whole thing again in 1980-81, 1981-82 and 1982-83. Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins. A run that will most likely never be repeated.
The end of the dynasty came in the 1983-84 season, when the Islanders were going for their fifth consecutive Stanley Cup. They fell short, however, losing in the finals to Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers. This was almost like a passing of the torch. One dynasty led to another as the Oilers went on to win four Stanley Cups in five seasons after dethroning the Islanders.
Other New York Islanders Defining Moments
Tavares Breaks the Drought
Now, there are some hard feelings with John Tavares if you ask the fans. After leaving Long Island for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in the free agency of 2018. However, no matter how you feel about the player, this list would not be complete without this moment. In game 6 at home during a 2015-16 first-round playoff matchup against the Florida Panthers. Tavares scored in double overtime to advance the Islanders to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 23 years is a massive moment for the franchise.
After all the hardships the team had gone through for those years. This felt like a weight lifted off their shoulders, and it deserves its spot here on this list.
History in the Last Game at Nassau Coliseum
Wednesday, June 23, 2021, game 6 of the Stanley Cup Conference Finals is a day that lives in the minds of all Islanders fans forever in what would be the last game at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Anthony Beauvillier put himself in the history books by scoring the last goal ever at the stadium. What a big goal it was, too, on the verge of elimination at the hands of the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, forcing a game 7.
They ultimately lost that game 7 in Tampa. However, this goal made history as the Islanders became the first team in NHL history to win the final game in a building set to close, in the third round of the playoffs, in overtime.
Honourable Mentions for the New York Islanders Defining Moments
When dealing with a team that has a rich history, some things may be left out. However, these moments still deserve mentioning. The first being the Shawn Bates penalty-shot goal from 2002. In the team’s first playoff appearance since 1993-94, the first penalty-shot goal in Islanders’ playoff history, evened up the series. Another notable moment was the team’s move to UBS Arena in 2021. After the back-and-forth between Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the Barclays Center, securing a permanent home arena for the foreseeable future meant a great deal. These are just a few more examples of defining moments for this historic franchise.
Main Photo: Andy Marlin- Imagn Images
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