The Skinny on The Schedule

aka... And Now for Something Completely Different!

The NHL released the 2015-16 regular season schedule on Wednesday and the Isles' schedule is certainly different than what fans saw in the Coliseum era.

The most noticeable change is that the Isles will play only 4 home games on Saturday -- and two of those, including a matinee, are in April. Only 6 Tuesday dates are scheduled.  The Isles hosted 13 Saturday and 12 Tuesday games last season.

Even the 18 total Saturday games is unusual -- the Isles played only 17 Saturday games in 1993-94 but played at least 19 Saturday games in every other full season in their history, including 25 last season.  The Isles will have 3 consecutive Saturdays off twice this season (November 7th, 14th & 21st and February 20th, 27th, & March 5th)

The Isles will host at least one game on each of the 7 days of the week -- that isn't as strange as it might sound; the Isles hosted games on all 7 days in each of the last six full seasons.

The breakdown of the schedule, day by day is as follows:

	Home	Away	Total
Sunday	7	3	10
Monday	10	0	10
Tuesday	6	9	15
Wednesday	3	1	4
Thursday	7	9	16
Friday	4	5	9
Saturday	4	14	18

The Isles will play their Friday and Saturday night home games (seven in all) at 7:30 pm.  23 of their 24 Monday-Thursday night games will start at 7:00 pm, with the December 2nd match-up with the Rangers starting at 8:00 (undoubtedly for NBCSN's Rivalry Night).  The seven Sunday home games will start at 5 different times, ranging from 2:30 pm (February 7th, the day of Super Bowl 50, vs Edmonton) to 7:30 pm (November 1st vs Buffalo). The remaining three games are 1:00 pm matinees on Columbus Day (October 12), President's Day (February 15) and on Saturday, April 2nd.

For the second straight season, the Isles will open the season with a home-and-home series.  However, this time it is the Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks (and not Carolina) providing the opposition.  The teams will play in the first-ever Barclay's Center regular season game on Friday, October 9th at 7:30 before playing in Chicago 25 hours later.  The Isles also have home-and-home series with Toronto, Montreal and Carolina.

It's the 2nd time that the Isles have opened the home season against Chicago (also in 1984 - the first home game of the Post-Cup era) and it will also be the 2nd time that the Isles have played the regular season opener against the Hawks (also in 1986 - the first game of the Terry Simpson era).

The Isles had opened at home on a Saturday in each of the last 14 seasons and in 26 of the last 27 seasons. (The Isles opened with a Sunday matinee against Colorado in 1999.)

There is only one homestand of four games, and it doesn't start until March 29th.  The Isles also have only one stretch of at least four straight on the road -- a 7-game stretch that begins in New Jersey on February 19th and ends in Manhattan on March 6th, with Minnesota and Western Canada in between.  Those seven games are the first seven of a stretch in which the Isles will play 12 of 14 on the road.

For the first time since the schedule change, the Isles will face the Rangers only four times.  The Isles will play Columbus and Philadelphia five times each this season, making three trips to Ohio and hosting the Flyers three times. The Isles will also face Carolina, New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Washington four times.

The Isles will have a chance to get used to their new home as 10 of their first 15 games are at home. Overall, 32 of the first 57 but only 9 of the last 25 will be played in Brooklyn.

The Isles will play 15 sets of back-to-backs this season; all but 1 of them (February 18-19) will be part of a 3-game in 4-days stretch. The Isles will play 3 in 4 days on 19 occasions this season (some of them overlap the same pair of back-to-backs).  They have one stretch of 6 games in 9 days, beginning the night after Thanksgiving in Florida. 

There are 5 days off at Christmas, and 7 days off around the All-Star Break.  There is only one other stretch where the Isles go 4 days without a game (January 18-21).  After hosting Vancouver on January 17th, the Isles will play only three times in the next 15 days.

The Isles will also close the season at home, likely entertaining Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres, on April 9th.  There is a bit of symmetry there as well, as Buffalo was also the opponent for the first Coliseum finale (March 27, 1973).  This will be the third time in four seasons that the Isles ended the regular season against the Sabres (also in Buffalo in both 2013 and 2014 as well as in 1981).

The complete schedule is available on the Isles website: http://islanders.nhl.com/club/schedule.htm

Most of you will read this on Friday, meaning that is only 105 days until the Isles play their regular season opener.

And Finally -- This being The Skinny, I need to point out that the Isles will not be one of the six NHL games to be played on Monday, February 29, 2016. The Isles have played four Leap Day games in their history, with the last being in 2004.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

The Skinny on the Home Opener - October 9/ 7:30 pm

The Isles will welcome the Stanley Cup Champions to Brooklyn on Friday, October 9th.  It will be the 1,669th regular season home game in Isles history (including 1,665 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum) but the first in Brooklyn.

Game time has been announced for 7:30pm.

The Friday home opener ends a streak of 14 consecutive Saturday home openers for the Isles, who opened on a weekend day (Saturday/Sunday) at the Coliseum every year since 1987.  The Isles' last Monday-Friday home opener was on Thursday October 16, 1986 vs. Washington - a 7-4 win that occurred the day after the Mets' monumental 16-inning win over Houston to win the NLCS.

Perhaps it is fitting that Chicago will provide the opposition for the first home game in the post-Coliseum era.  The Black Hawks (then two words) were the opponent on Long Island on October 13, 1984 -- the first home game in the post-Cup era. Mike Bossy scored in overtime to give the Isles a 7-6 win-- but that game Happened at the Coliseum.   This game will happen at Barclays Center.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Former Islander Greg Parks passed away

Coverage from his alma mater:

Former Falcon star, BGSU Hall of Famer Greg Parks passes away

				Former Falcon star, BGSU Hall of Famer Greg Parks passes... Greg Parks, a member of the Bowling Green State University Athletics Hall of Fame who remains the fourth-leading scorer in Falcon hockey history, has died. Reports...
				View on www.bgsuhockey.com	Preview by Yahoo

 

Parks played in 23 regular season games and 2 playoff games for the Isles -- his only NHL games.  It was Parks who replaced Pierre Turgeon in the lineup after Dale Hunter mauled Turgeon.  Parks played the first two games of the 1993 Patrick Division Final against Pittsburgh.

Parks is on a relatively short list of Islanders who scored in their first NHL game, scoring vs. Winnipeg on October 16, 1990; it was his only NHL goal.  Mark Herrmann noted in Newsday the next day: "Greg Parks, the center who probably is exaggerating when he claims he is 5-8, 175 pounds, scored a goal in his NHL debut."

After leaving the Islanders, Parks played for Canada in the 1994 Olympic Team -- Canada lost to Sweden in the Gold Medal Game using the now dreaded "game winning shots".  Peter Forsberg got himself, and Canada's Corey Hirsch on a postage stamp, after scoring the winning goal in the shootout.

Parks, who is also the all-time leading scorer in Capital District Islanders history, played all through Europe and Asia (Japan) as well -  details here: Greg Parks

				Greg Parks Get up-to-date statistics, game logs, splits and much more about center Greg Parks on Hockey-Reference.com
				View on www.hockey-referenc...	Preview by Yahoo

 

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

It Happened at the Coliseum … on MAY 24th

I’m not usually short for words (I’ve written over 100,000 of them in the #It Happened series) but today is different.  This is the last edition of a series that began on October 3^rd, detailing John Tavares’ first NHL game (You can find that edition here) …and it ends with Bob Nystrom’s most famous goal...  JT to Nystrom… There’s some symmetry there I guess.

Thanks so much to all of the people who have contributed to this series with their anecdotes, pictures and videos.

Special thanks to:

•  Steve Steinsaltz, who contributed a lot of the videos from the Cup era,
• “StevieNics”, who posted so many of the videos onto youtube that appeared in this series 
•  Hockey Summary Project (hsp.flyershistory.com), for filling the gaps in my memory with their boxscores
•  Hockey-Reference.com – my go-to source for NHL stats and data
•  The Syosset Public Library – amazing how much research you can do online if you have a library card
•  Isles-blog – for helping to make this obsession a wonderful charitable endeavor
•  and of course to my family.

     However, the biggest thanks goes to you -- the reader -- for reading, and for all of the nice words that you have said not only about this series, but about The Skinny as well.

35 years ago today (1980) - The Stanley Cup is ours!  

Bob Nystrom converted a pass from John Tonelli at the magical 7:11 mark of overtime as the Islanders defeated the Philadelphia  5-4  to win the Stanley Cup in 6 games.

Reggie Leach had given the Flyers a 1-0 first period lead with a power play goal but Denis Potvin knotted the game with a power play tally of his own.

That set the stage for the most disputed part of the game – a goal by Duane Sutter after a missed off-side call by Leon Stickle. “I guess I blew it”, Stickle told a pool reporter.  Flyer fans will tell you that call cost them the Stanley Cup –they’ll usually conveniently forget that Brian Propp tied the game before the first period was over.

Mike Bossy broke the 2-2 tie with the Islanders’ second power play goal of the game at 7:46 of the middle session, and when Bob Nystrom beat Peter Peeters with just 14 seconds to play in the session, it seemed like the Islanders had the game in hand. 

Jim Robson was calling the game for Hockey Night in Canada and ironically noted, “Bob Nystrom will never score a bigger goal in his life.”  He was right – for about 90 minutes.

Give the Flyers credit though.  Philadelphia had finished first overall, in large part due to a 35-game unbeaten streak, and with their season on the line they managed to tie the game.  Bob Dailey scored just 1:47 into the third period and John Paddock scored 4:15 later to get the Broad Street Bullies, who were looking for their 3^rd championship in 7 years, even.  Neither team could score in the rest of regulation and (after CBS showed 15 minutes of golf), we went to overtime.

35 years later, the Flyers are still waiting. 

Taken at the Coliseum during the 2014-15 season

It was 5:40pm on that 24th day of May, 1980.  At 7:11 of overtime, Tonelli’s pass to Nystrom made history as Bob Nystrom scored “The Goal” ….and the Islanders won the Stanley Cup.

This scene was recreated in the same corner i.n 2015, when John Tavares scored to beat Washington in overtime in game 3.

“It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”, Nystrom told Newsday’s Pat Calabria. “It’s everything it is supposed to be.  It’s everything you dream about.  It is.”

Others felt tears, of happiness.  “All I want to do is cry.  Cry, cry, cry, that’s all”, said Bob Bourne.

The first sentence on page 3 of Newsday ends this way: “We Are Long Island and Proud. Thank You.”  If a similar sentence was written today, it could end:  “We Are Long Island – home of the Lizards, Ducks, Cosmos and Rough Riders.”  

Here's the most complete version of the CBC broadcast I can find:

This was the only game that aired on network television in the US in a span of nearly two decades -- Dan Kelly was at the microphone for CBS when Nystrom made history.

Kelly also had the honors as the voice behind the 1980 Stanley Cup Film:




The Isles' win even merited a mention on Saturday Night Live (wonder whatever happened to that anchor?)




Nystrom's goal was a work of art.  Literally.



The historic boxscore:

First Period
1 - PHI : Reggie Leach 9 (Rick MacLeish, Bill Barber) (PP) 7:21 
2 - NYI : Potvin 6 (Bossy, Trottier) (PP) 11:56 
3 - NYI : Sutter (Gillies, Goring) (EV) 14:08 
4 - PHI : Brian Propp 5 (Paul Holmgren, Ken Linseman) (EV) 18:38 

Second Period
5 - NYI : Bossy 10 (Bourne, Trottier) (PP) 7:34 
6 - NYI : Nystrom 8 (Tonelli) (EV) 19:46 

Third Period
7 - PHI : Bob Dailey 4 (Ken Linseman, Paul Holmgren) (EV) 1:47 
8 - PHI : John Paddock 2 (Andre Dupont, Rick MacLeish) (EV) 6:02 

Overtime
9 - NYI : Nystrom 9 (Henning, Tonelli) (EV) 7:11 

(Update: As the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs started, the NHL added their own box scores to their website --here's what it looks like : 

Philadelphia Flyers - New York Islanders - May 24th, 1980)

One year ago today, I wrote a Skinny post on that day -- it included a picture of the scoresheet that a 16-year old future statistician had typed up about the game:

My complete post on that day is here:
The Skinny on May 24, 1980
Truth be told -- it was writing that post that gave me this crazy idea to cover the Coliseum's history on a day-by-day basis.

In honor of the 30th anniversary in 1980, I shared a draft of the script that Jiggs McDonald used in 2006 to introduce the Stanley Cup champions.
1980 Stanley Cup Champions - Jiggs script


Also on this date: (1993) In Montreal, the Canadiens eliminated the Isles in five games with a 5-2 victory.  The Isles have not been out of the first round since.  (Update --this would change in 2016!)

All-time, the Isles played one playoff games on May 24th at the Coliseum; they compiled a 1-0 playoff record on this date at 1255 Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale. 

And Finally....

The final words in this series belong not to me, not to Howie and not to Jiggs. 

They belong to a radio broadcaster (who died in 2009) named Bob Lawrence,

who called the play-by-play for only a handful of Islanders games -- he was John Sterling's sidekick when Sterling did the play-by-play for three seasons and then mainly served as the host of radio broadcasts that were simulcasts of the TV broadcast.  With CBS televising Game 6, the Isles did their own radio broadcast and it was Lawrence (along with Jean Potvin) who had the call.

Here's what he said:

It Happened at the Coliseum … on MAY 23rd

The Isles never played a game, at the Coliseum or on the road, on May 23^rd. 

Rather than leave an empty page, enjoy Fort NeverLose -- the NHL Network special that aired last month.

Be sure to join me tomorrow for the 235th (and final) edition of It Happened at the Coliseum!

In association with IslesBlog, we raised over $33,000 with our namesake shirts.
The proceeds benefited Make-A-Wish(R) Metro NY. 

Isles fans at the final regular season home game.

It Happened at the Coliseum … on MAY 22nd

22 years ago tonight (1993)- Patrick Flatley’s goal broke a 1-1 tie early in the third period as the Islanders defeated Montreal 4-1 in game #4 of the Wales Conference Final.

Paul DiPietro scored early in the second period to break a scoreless tie, but Steve Thomas tied the game before the period ended.

After Flatley gave the Isles the lead at 5:57 of the third period, David Volek gave the Isles a 3-1 lead with his second goal of the series at 10:24. Benoit Hogue hit the empty net in the final minute for the final margin of victory in what turned out to be Al Arbour’s 123^rd and final playoff win (119 for Isles).

"This was a typical Islander effort led by our captain Pat Flatley," Al Arbour told Newsday’s Jeff Williams. "His play was typical of our second effort tonight. He battled through that defenseman from the blue line in."

The Islander win snapped Montreal’s NHL-record-tying 11-game playoff winning streak.

Nobody would have believed you at the time, but it turned out to be the last time the Coliseum hosted a game beyond the first round of the playoffs.

1992-93 team picture

Also on this date: (1980) – Rick MacLeish scored twice as the Flyers earned a 6-3 win in Philadelphia in game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.  Stefan Persson had two goals for the Islanders, both on the power play.  The Isles would have to wait less than 48 hours for Game 6 – that game would have a different result.

All-time, the Isles played one playoff games on May 22nd at the Coliseum; they compiled a 1-0 playoff record on this date at 1255 Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale. 

It Happened at the Coliseum … on MAY 21st

34 years ago tonight (1981) Butch Goring scored 2 first period goals, capping off his Conn Smythe Award-winning season as the Isles scored three times in the first 10:03 and coasted to a 5-1 victory and their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

Goring has the Conn Smythe Trophy in front of him

Goring got the Isles started at 5:12 of the period, and Wayne Merrick scored 25 seconds later.  It would turn out to be the Stanley Cup clinching goal.

Steve Christoff scored at 16:06 of the first period to give North Stars fans hope of a Miracle on Ice (Christoff won Gold for Team USA in 1980), but the Isles were not about to let a 3-goal lead get away – not with the Stanley Cup in the building.

The game stayed 3-1 until the final minute of the second period, when Bob Bourne put the dagger through the North Stars’ hopes.  The third period was largely ceremonial; Mike McEwen scored with 2:54 to play for the final margin of victory.

Billy Smith was good when he had to be—the Stars outshot the Isles 15-10 in the first period – but did not have much to do in the final 40 minutes as Minnesota managed only 10 shots on goal.

The Isles became the third consecutive Stanley Cup Champion to repeat at least once (Philadelphia 1974-75, Montreal 1976-79).

Here's the historic box score:

Minnesota North Stars 1 @ New York Islanders 5

First Period

1 - NYI : Goring 9 (Bourne) (PP) 5:12 
2 - NYI : Merrick 6 (Tonelli, Nystrom) (EV) 5:37 
3 - NYI : Goring 10 (Gillies, Bossy) (EV) 10:03 
4 - MINS : Christoff 8 (EV) 16:06 

Second Period

5 - NYI : Bourne 4 (Carroll, Kallur) (EV) 19:21 

Third Period

6 - NYI : McEwen 6 (Trottier) (EV) 17:06 

Here is the link to the (edited) complete game replay, from Hockey Night in Canada:

http://video.islanders.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=3159


Here is the winning celebration, also from Hockey Night.  Watch how quickly the fans stormed the ice!



Here are highlights from Hockey Night:




Here are some post-season highlights, narrated by Jiggs McDonald:

Here is the Stanley Cup film:

The Stanley Cup is the perfect trophy -- but its full of imperfections -- such as the spelling "Ilanders" seen here.

All-time, the Isles played one playoff game on May 21st at the Coliseum; they compiled a 1-0 playoff record on this date at 1255 Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale.