Islanders dynasty 81-82

[Hug Ben Laf]

Hello all, I have always had great respect for the Islanders dynasty in the early 80s. I Think the 81-82 season was the Islanders best season ever. I was wondering if anyone who watched hockey that season could give me some insight on the Islanders from the 81-82 season. How does their lineup look like, how was the team, their play, everything you can come up with.

And you cant mention the Islanders without talking about Bossy, Potvin and Trottier. Could someone tell me which players in todays hockey compare to those 3?

Here is what I think can compare to those 3 greats.

Bossy-Kovalchuk... fast sniper with a amazing shot!
Trottier-Forsberg... gritty playmaker with excellent defensive play.
Potvin-Jovanoski... hmmm this was a hard one, but Jovo is the closest thing I can think of that can be comparable to Potvin.

Click to read more...

 

[VanIslander]

I can't think about the New York Islanders of '82 except with respectful resentment, because I'm a Canucks fan.

Bossy-Kovalchuk... fast sniper with a amazing shot!

Uh,... no. Bossy didn't have Ilya's moves. Bossy was like Brett Hull: in the right place with the right shot to finish a play.

Trottier-Forsberg... gritty playmaker with excellent defensive play.

Uh,... your words do denote a parallel, but Trottier was dirtier, like a younger Messier.

Potvin-Jovanoski

No, no, no... no. More like a Lidstrom with attitude.

 

[Trottier]

Hello all, I have always had great respect for the Islanders dynasty in the early 80s. I Think the 81-82 season was the Islanders best season ever.

I agree 100% with you. the 1981-82 team was the best of their best. It was following that Cup win that Denis Potvin boldly declared them "the best %$#@ team ever!," or something like that. Not to get melodramatic, but looking back on it, as a young sports/NYI fan, that was the glory of my times, never to be matched again. You don't realize how special and fleeting success is among sports teams until its past. That is, I'll never live to see another 4-time champion on Long Island. Heck, may not ever see a single season champ!

I was wondering if anyone who watched hockey that season could give me some insight on the Islanders from the 81-82 season. How does their lineup look like, how was the team, their play, everything you can come up with.

Without listing the entire lineup, that roster was, obviously, stacked. They arguably had the deepest group of LWs on any single team ever - Gillies, Bourne, Tonelli and Anders Kallur. All four at one time or another saw first-line action (alongside Trottier and Bossy), and produced there. The 1981-82 season saw Trottier have his first and only 50 goal season, to go along with Bossy's annual 50+ output. More about their forward depth: Rookie Brent Sutter had just completed his first meaningful NHL playing time that regular season (43games 21goals 22assists 43pts 114 PIM!)...and he was a bit player and essentially a fourthline center during the playoffs!

On defense, the depth was equally impressive. NYI had Mike McEwen, a superb offensive dman (and powerplay specialist) as part of their third-pairing (73gm 10g 39a 49pts that season); he was out of a job shortly thereafter as youngster Tomas Jonnson stepped up.

In goal, Billy Smith won the Vezina Trophy that season, and along with Rollie Melanson, formed one of the very best tandems in the league. Meanwhile, that same season, a young guy by the name of Kelly Hrudey captured the Terry Sawchuk Award as the best young goalie in the CHL for NYI's farm team!

To top it off, the Isles that summer (1983), by virtue of pulling off one of the biggest steals in NHL history (in a trade with NJD), ended up with the third pick in the amateur draft...and Pat Lafontaine!

Point being, at that moment, NYI seemingly had the perfect scenario that every fan dreams of, what with an established NHL Cup team, and the promise of a bright future. As it turns out, it was good enough for one more Cup and two more Finals appearances. Nothing lasts forever.

And you cant mention the Islanders without talking about Bossy, Potvin and Trottier. Could someone tell me which players in todays hockey compare to those 3?

Wow, that one is hard. Well, Trottier was Steve Yzerman's hero growing up (he wears the same #19 by design), and he certainly has done Trots justice with his play through the years. Trottier remains the most complete hockey player I ever saw. He was superb in every aspect of the game. To this observer, the most complete player since is the guy in Colorado who wears number 21. Interestingly, both Forsberg and Trottier (along with Mark Messier) possess(ed) one attribute that gave them an advantage over most every opponent they ever faced: fearlessness. That is, Forsberg is a silent killer on the ice, willing to go around you or through you, legally or illegally, to get to the puck and to win. While not as dynamic as Forsberg and Messier, Trottier possessed that exact same trait, consistently over his entire career. He NEVER missed an opportunity to take the body. (Adding: Doug Gilmour, in his prime, bore some resemblance to Trottier's game as well.)

Bossy? No less an authority than #99, #66 and Ray Bourque have been quoted as saying that Bossy was the purest goal scorer the game has ever seen. I suppose Bret Hull is the best comparison, but as superb a player as Hull is, he is a decided 2nd in that comparison, IMO. Bossy was not, as suggested above, the puck handler Kovalchuk, or, among his contemporaries, Lafleur, was. However, anywhere inside the blueline, he was the most brilliant finisher you could imagine. (Interestingly Isles coach Al Arbour forced Bossy to become a very respectable two-way player, as well.) He won the Conn Smyth that spring of '82, and scored perhaps the most incredible goal ever, literally parallel to the ice, in mid-air, in the Finals. (I kid you not; I've got the tape!)

Potvin's best comparison? Take the game of Ray Bourque, and add the uber-meaness of Chris Chelios (not at all suggesting that RB was meek player, but Chelios is a mean SOB, as we know!). Sprinkle in the justified cockiness/confidence of Mark Messier. Then you have Potvin.

Trottier, Bossy, Potvin, with the best money goalie in the history of the game. You want to talk about having a core around which to build a successful team?

 

[Snap Wilson]

Trots with the shut-down post. Well done.

'82 was their best *championship* team, but for my money, the '79 version was just as strong, at least during the regular season. The Isles and Habs were the two strongest teams in the league by about fifteen points, and each game was a war. The Isles won the season series three games to one. I was looking forward to the inevitable playoff matchup, which turned out to be not so inevitable. The playoff series against the Rangers was bewildering. The Isles couldn't do anything with the Rags. Took overtime to win their two games.

Thanks to a spat of upsets, the '82 version was never really tested by a strong team in the playoffs. The Rangers (92 points) was the strongest team they faced. I think the rest of their opponents that year were under .500 in the regular season.

 

[Trottier]

All fair points.

'82 was their best *championship* team, but for my money, the '79 version was just as strong, at least during the regular season. The Isles and Habs were the two strongest teams in the league by about fifteen points, and each game was a war. The Isles won the season series three games to one. I was looking forward to the inevitable playoff matchup, which turned out to be not so inevitable. The playoff series against the Rangers was bewildering. The Isles couldn't do anything with the Rags. Took overtime to win their two games.

You weren't the only one looking ahead that post-season to a matchup with the Habs. A not-so-funny thing happened on the way to the Cup, unfortunately. I was at the first game of that NYR series. Isles jumped out to lead on a beautiful Trottier backhand goal...and then NYR basically owned the rest of the game, winning 4-1. Isles, as you state, took the second game in OT on a Potvin shot from the point. (Nationally broadcast TV game on a Saturday afternoon as I recall). It was right then that this fan saw the ominous signs, as it had taken the Isles to OT to just eek out one victory at home in the first two. A superb system deployed by Freddie "The Fog" Shero, outstanding goaltending, and some weird karma did NYI in. Memories that will linger a lifetime: a banner at MSG in the final game that read "Hey Denis, Tee time at 9am tomorrow morning!"...and Bobby Sheehan (a retread from the WHA) suddenly showing up on NYI's roster and playing a heck of a series at center...and basically disappearing into oblivion once that playoff season ended.

Pat Hickey from that NYR team would likely concur with your opinion about that '79 NYI team. Saw him interviewed once where he observed, interestingly, that it wasn't Edmonton (in '85) that really had stopped NYI from winning five straight Cups...it was NYR in '79.

Thanks to a spat of upsets, the '82 version was never really tested by a strong team in the playoffs.

True, though I think that says as much for NYI as anything else. That is, for a powerhouse team, most every opponent looks small. And, it should be noted, they walked over the regular season champs (Bruins) and the big bad Oilers the following spring ('83). But your point about their '82 post-season opponents is taken.

 

[Chili]

That was the year I started following the Pens. They were huge underdogs against the Isles in their opening playoff rounds and then lost the first two games of the best of five. But they won the next two and had the Isles down 3-1 with ~ 6 minutes to play in game five. The Isles were very lucky to tie the game and then win it in ot. And of course they went on to the Cup from there.

They were a great team though. Bill Torrey and All Arbour plus a number of great players built a nice dynasty.

 

[Snap Wilson]

True, though I think that says as much for NYI as anything else. That is, for a powerhouse team, most every opponent looks small. And, it should be noted, they walked over the regular season champs (Bruins) and the big bad Oilers the following spring ('83). But your point about their '82 post-season opponents is taken.

I didn't mention it to diminish the accomplishment. They had no control of whom their opponents were beyond the first round, and I think they would've won no matter which opponents they had to face that year. It's just a freak occurrence. Probably the worst record of opponents any team has faced on their way to a championship, since the expansion era anyway.

 

[acr*]

I don't know if there's any goalie whose demeanor compares with Billy Smith. Maybe Cloutier, except he actually won in the playoffs.

My dad told me some funny stories about Smith, like chiasing a guy halfway down the ice swinging his stick around while play was still going on.

 

[Malefic74]

I don't know if there's any goalie whose demeanor compares with Billy Smith. Maybe Cloutier, except he actually won in the playoffs.

Hextall in his prime in '87 is about as close. Belfour too when he gets riled up and Eddie is closer to Smith's skill than Hextall was. Those are about the two closest.

Cloutier shouldn't ever be mentioned in the same sentence as Billy Smith. Period.

 

[copperandblue]

Cloutier shouldn't ever be mentioned in the same sentence as Billy Smith. Period.

Cloutier is like a bizzaro world comparison of Billy Smith.

Smith was a ho-hum regular season goalie but perhaps one of the best ever playoff goalies.

Cloutier is the exact opposite, plays pretty well in the regular season but shouldn't be allowed within ten blocks of an ice rink during the playoffs.

 

[Trottier]

I didn't mention it to diminish the accomplishment. They had no control of whom their opponents were beyond the first round, and I think they would've won no matter which opponents they had to face that year. It's just a freak occurrence. Probably the worst record of opponents any team has faced on their way to a championship, since the expansion era anyway.

No disagreement, whatsoever. And, ironically, as Chili points out, it was that spring ('82) that they got their biggest scare during their four-year run. Minutes away from being eliminated by the world-famous Michel Dion and the Pens. Once they somehow got past that series, and then the annual spring battle against NYR, they swept eight straight games (vs. Quebec in the Conference Finals and Vancouver in the Finals).

***

About Billy Smith: Guy was a renown hardass on and off the ice. But he was an original. Once turned down me and my friends for an autograph while the rest of his teammates were fully obliging. Never shook hands with opponents at the end of a playoff series. Likely the most hated goalie in the league, among both players and fans. And, interestingly, while he had a solid NHL career, his regular season numbers alone surely would not have landed him in the Hall of Fame.

But, a pressure goalie like no other.

His Game One in the 1983 Finals vs. Edmonton remains the single best game of goaltending I've ever witnessed.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

I agree 100% with you. the 1981-82 team was the best of their best. It was following that Cup win that Denis Potvin boldly declared them "the best %$#@ team ever!," or something like that. Not to get melodramatic, but looking back on it, as a young sports/NYI fan, that was the glory of my times, never to be matched again. You don't realize how special and fleeting success is among sports teams until its past. That is, I'll never live to see another 4-time champion on Long Island. Heck, may not ever see a single season champ!

No disrespect to Potvin and the Isles, but amongst teams I have seen play in my lifetime:

Habs 76-77 > Habs 77-78 > Habs 75-76 > Oilers 84-85 > Isles 81-82

 

[Trottier]

You'll get no argument here that the 1976-77 Habs were the single greatest team in my lifetime. Heck, they lost eight - EIGHT! - regular season games! And they waltzed through the playoffs as well.

When you get into greatest dynasties ever, its fun discussion but ultimately fruitless. I consider both NYI's '80s and Montreal's '70s dynasty teams superior to Edmonton's. (While readily acknowledging those Oiler squads as the greatest offensive teams ever.)

But, of course I would - I'm an NYI fan and Edmonton ended my team's reign!

 

[chooch*]

You'll get no argument here that the 1976-77 Habs were the single greatest team in my lifetime. Heck, they lost eight - EIGHT! - regular season games! And they waltzed through the playoffs as well.

When you get into greatest dynasties ever, its fun discussion but ultimately fruitless. I consider both NYI's '80s and Montreal's '70s dynasty teams superior to Edmonton's. (While readily acknowledging those Oiler squads as the greatest offensive teams ever.)

But, of course I would - I'm an NYI fan and Edmonton ended my team's reign!

The 4 straight Habs teams lost 10-8-11-17 games in the regular season and 1-2-3-4 games in the playoffs!

1-2-3-4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The 79 Habs team would have beat the 79 Isles; after the playoffs Trottier was quoted as saying not even the Russians could have beat the Habs.
However, in 76 and 77 their only playoff losses were to the Isles. Bossy always had Drydens number so a series in 79 would have been fun. The Isles never beat them until 84 in the playoffs but by that time it was different Habs team. Arbour the coach was Bowman's defenceman in St Louis similar to Robinson later.

 

[monkey_00*]

No disrespect to Potvin and the Isles, but amongst teams I have seen play in my lifetime:

Habs 76-77 > Habs 77-78 > Habs 75-76 > Oilers 84-85 > Isles 81-82

I agree but the thing I liked about those Islander teams is they weren't as skilled as some of those other Cup winning teams, they were a blue-collar team and found a way to win...on paper there was a couple of other teams in the League better than those Islander teams when they won 4-straight Cups...I don't think they even finished first overall during the regular season in each of those 4-seasons...it was either Montreal or Boston those years atop the standings but come playoff time these animals in Long Island would turn it up a notch and become an unstoppable force.

 

[Snap Wilson]

The 79 Habs team would have beat the 79 Isles; after the playoffs Trottier was quoted as saying not even the Russians could have beat the Habs.

Hell, the Bruins almost beat those Habs. To hear Dryden tell it, the team had all but given up until the too many men call. They were vulnerable that year.