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For the New York Islanders and their fans, the last twenty years can be summed up in one word...disappointment. The Isles have not been legitimate contenders for the cup since the early nineties.
The four glorious years of Stanley Cup championships will never be forgotten, but Islander fans are waiting for their organization to get back to Cup, or maybe even the conference finals. It also doesn't help that they will be moving to Brooklyn in two years.
But enough whining, for now let's count down the five best Islander teams that never brought home the hardware.
So much for not whining, they should have won the cup these years!
5. 1975-76- The 1975-76 Islanders put the entire NHL on alert, and let everybody know that this team is for real and will be around for a long time. Led by Denis Potvin, Clark Gillies, and Bryan Trottier, the Islanders notched 42 wins while posting a +107 goal differential during the regular season. The Islanders had nine players score twenty goals or more, with four players exceeding the thiry goal mark. The Islanders put together two separate streaks of ten games where they went unbeaten, and finished second in the Patrick Division with 101pts.
The 1975-76 season was the second straight season the Islanders made the playoffs, and just like the previous season the Islanders cruised through the first round, and won in the quarterfinals. But for the second straight season the Islanders run was ended in the semi-finals by the future Stanley Cup champions. The 1975-76 season was the start of four straight Stanley Cups for the Montreal Canadiens, but it was clear the Islanders were not far from becoming the league's elite team.
4. 1976-77- The 1976-77 Islanders got off to one of the best starts in franchise history. The Isles went 14-2-3 in their first 19 games and outscored their opponents 75-40. The combination of Glenn Resch and Billy Smith between the pipes helped lead the Islanders to 47 wins during the regular season. The Islanders again boasted a high powered scoring attack that saw seven players score twenty plus goals in the regular season.
The Islanders again finished 2nd in the Patrick Division, behind the Penguins, with 106 pts, the most in franchise history. In the playoffs, the Islanders swept Chicago in the first round, and also swept Buffalo in the quarters. It looked as if the Islanders might break through and get to the Stanley Cup Finals, but they had to get through, you guessed it, the Montreal Canadiens. The Islanders fell to the Canadiens, who won the cup again, in six games.
Another great year ended by the only team that seemed to have the Islanders number, but as for the New York hockey scene, the Islanders were on top, and the New York Rangers were in the basement not only in New York, but in the Patrick Division.
3. 1978-79- The 1978-79 team was the greatest regular season team not to win the Stanley Cup, and should perhaps be number one on this list. Well they aren't, and for good reason.
The 1978-79 New York Islanders were an offensive machine...MACHINE. The Islanders outscored their opponents 358-214 during the regular season, led by Mike Bossy's 69 goals. Bossy, Denis Potvin, and Bryan Trottier all eclipsed the 100 point mark, with Trottier posting a team high 134 points. The Islanders won 51 games during the regular season and finished with 116pts, tops in the NHL. They won the Patrick Division by 21 pts over the second place Philadelphia Flyers. This sounds like the greatest Islander team doesn't it? Well here is why they are not number one on the list.
After sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks in the quarterfinals, the Islanders were matched up against the New York Rangers for the chance to play in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Rangers finished third in the Patrick Division with 91 pts, and defeated the Flyers in five games in the quarters. The Islanders won five of the eight regular season meetings between the teams including a 5-2 win at Madison Square Garden on the final day of the regular season.
The Islanders may have overlooked their cross-town foes, and they paid for it. The Rangers upset the heavily favored Islanders in six games and went on to play Montreal in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Islanders scored 12 goals in the six game series. For most teams that would be pretty sufficient, but for this New York Islander team, it was unacceptable.
Islander fans were forced to swallow another semi-finals loss, and this one to the New York Rangers. Fortunately for Islander fans, their frustration did not last long. The following year the Islanders began a run of four consecutive Stanley Cup championships.
2. 1992-93- The 1992-93 may not have been one of the best teams in franchise history, but it's what the team did in the playoffs that fans will remember most about this season. The Islanders got back to the playoffs after missing the last two seasons and had a first round match-up with the Washington Capitals.
After dropping the first game, the Islanders won four of the next five games, including three straight overtime victories, to defeat the Caps. Perhaps the most memorable moment of the seriescame at the end of Game 6. After Pierre Turgeon scored in the third period to secure the victory, and the series, for the Islanders, Dale Hunter viciously took down Turgeon. Hunter was served a 21-game suspension while Turgeon suffered a separated shoulder.
In the division finals, the Islanders shocked the high powered, and two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games. The Islanders found a way to neutralize Pittsburgh's two stars, Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr with defensman Darius Kasparaitis. After splitting the first six games, the Islanders and Pens went to overtime in Game 7 and Dave Volek scored to send the Islanders to the Wales Conference Finals against the Montreal Canadiens.
Once again the Islanders would be eliminated by the Canadiens in five games. The Canadiens would go on to win their 24th Stanley Cup, the most by any team in hockey.
1. 1983-84- The New York Islanders were coming off their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup championship. There was a dynasty in Uniondale, New York, and the Islanders were not about to let the cup leave the Coliseum so easily. The Islanders notched just their third 50 win season in franchise history, and finished atop the Patrick Division with 104 pts.
Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier led the Islanders attack once again. Bossy led the team with 51 goals and 118 points, while Trottier totaled 111 points in the regular season.
After taking down the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals in the first two rounds, the Islanders would take on the Montreal Canadiens for the right to play for the Stanley Cup. The Islanders would defeat the Canadiens in six games and head to their fifth straight Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers.
As good as the Islanders were all season, the Oilers were loaded with future Hall of Fame talent, including Wayne Gretzky, Jarri Kurri, and Mark Messier. The Oilers took Game 1 1-0, but the Islanders responded with a 6-1 drubbing of Edmonton. The Islanders would not win another game lose the series in five games. In games three through five, the Oilers out scored the Islanders 19-6 .
The Islanders were denied their fifth straight Stanley Cup, while the Oilers went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups. Since 1983-84, the Islanders have reached the conference finals just once.
Up Next: The New York Rangers
