The Panther
Registered User
Talk of Pat Lafontaine made me think about the Islanders' post-Dynasty era of circa 1984 to 1988. (I'll pick those years because Denis Potvin retired in 1988, which was the last year they made the playoffs for a long time, and Billy Smith retired the next season, while Trottier fell off a cliff.)
Quick rundown of events:
1983-84
Islanders get 104 points (2nd overall to Edmonton), but are dethroned by Oilers in five games.
1984-85
Islanders get 86 points, 3rd in Patrick, their lowest total since 1974. They eliminate 101-point Washington, but then are smoked by 1st overall Philly.
1985-86
Islanders get 90 points, 3rd in Patrick, but are swept by 107-point Washington in the first round. Al Arbour departs as coach after this season, but stays with the organization (only to return as coach early in 1988-89).
1986-87
(New coach is Terry Simpson.) Islanders get 82 points, lowest total since 1974, but are still third in the Patrick. They eliminate Washington in seven games (Lafontaine overtime goal), and then surprisingly go seven vs. Philly before falling. Bossy plays his last.
1987-88
(Brent Sutter becomes team captain.) Islanders get 88 points, which amazingly is 1st in the Patrick. But they go down to surprising New Jersey in six games in round one. Denis Potvin retires after this season.
A few things surprise me about this period of Dynasty decline. I guess I'm a little surprised that Al Arbour stayed on through 1986... often when a Dynasty ends the head coach is fired, resigns, or moves into an executive position pretty quickly. Arbour, as I understand, 'removed himself' in 1986 (and then came back in '88). It also strikes me that the team kept the very same core players until about 1988 that they'd had since 1978 or so -- Bossy, Trottier, Potvin, Smith, Morrow, and Brent Sutter (from '81) were are still on the team as late as spring 1988, some longer. Of course, they moved in a lot of younger guys in this period (notably Lafontaine, who took over from Bossy in 1987 or so as top sniper), but a lot of those guys were pretty long in the tooth by '88.
So, I'm wondering if people think the Islanders managed their years of decline well? Did they do the right thing in keeping Al Arbour until 1986 and then hiring Terry Simpson (who lasted only two seasons)? Did they stick with the Dynasty-core players too long, or not? Why did Sutter become team captain (when Potvin was still playing) in 1987-88? Did they realistically have any chance of going back to the Finals in '85 or '86?
Quick rundown of events:
1983-84
Islanders get 104 points (2nd overall to Edmonton), but are dethroned by Oilers in five games.
1984-85
Islanders get 86 points, 3rd in Patrick, their lowest total since 1974. They eliminate 101-point Washington, but then are smoked by 1st overall Philly.
1985-86
Islanders get 90 points, 3rd in Patrick, but are swept by 107-point Washington in the first round. Al Arbour departs as coach after this season, but stays with the organization (only to return as coach early in 1988-89).
1986-87
(New coach is Terry Simpson.) Islanders get 82 points, lowest total since 1974, but are still third in the Patrick. They eliminate Washington in seven games (Lafontaine overtime goal), and then surprisingly go seven vs. Philly before falling. Bossy plays his last.
1987-88
(Brent Sutter becomes team captain.) Islanders get 88 points, which amazingly is 1st in the Patrick. But they go down to surprising New Jersey in six games in round one. Denis Potvin retires after this season.
A few things surprise me about this period of Dynasty decline. I guess I'm a little surprised that Al Arbour stayed on through 1986... often when a Dynasty ends the head coach is fired, resigns, or moves into an executive position pretty quickly. Arbour, as I understand, 'removed himself' in 1986 (and then came back in '88). It also strikes me that the team kept the very same core players until about 1988 that they'd had since 1978 or so -- Bossy, Trottier, Potvin, Smith, Morrow, and Brent Sutter (from '81) were are still on the team as late as spring 1988, some longer. Of course, they moved in a lot of younger guys in this period (notably Lafontaine, who took over from Bossy in 1987 or so as top sniper), but a lot of those guys were pretty long in the tooth by '88.
So, I'm wondering if people think the Islanders managed their years of decline well? Did they do the right thing in keeping Al Arbour until 1986 and then hiring Terry Simpson (who lasted only two seasons)? Did they stick with the Dynasty-core players too long, or not? Why did Sutter become team captain (when Potvin was still playing) in 1987-88? Did they realistically have any chance of going back to the Finals in '85 or '86?
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