For those of you who haven't heard, the Islanders have released a DVD called "Dinner And A Dynasty". Basically, it's a roundtable discussion of Islanders legends filmed during the Core Of The Four weekend. I'd imagine viewers will be treated to 90 minutes of ex-Isles stuffing their faces and telling stories we've already heard a million times. Needless to say, this isn't exactly a must-have in my collection - mainly because I was eighteen months old when the Islanders won their fourth Cup.
However, this does provide as a nice segue to a piece I've wanted to write for some time. Imagine that I, a die-hard Islanders fan, got the chance to create the definitive DVD boxed set that would encompass the history of the Islanders. And I think I'm a pretty good guy to do it. Unlike the Islanders organization, I am aware that there are things that have happened to this team since 1984. I respect the Dynasty, but I know that it's not the be-all and end-all of the franchise. I have a deep knowledge of the many crappy teams that followed the Dynasty, and those teams will be represented in this DVD set.
We'll do ten games, with any game going more than two overtimes counting as two games (i.e. the Easter Epic). Some of the choices will surprise you because they're not "conventional" - as in, there's no need to include all four Cup clinchers when two of them were road blowouts. That said, this is as good a trip down Islanders Memory Lane as one can get. And away we go!
4.11.75: Islanders 4, Rangers 3. 1975 Preliminary Round, Game 3. The famous J.P. Parise overtime winner that put the Islanders on the map.
5.24.80: Islanders 5, Flyers 4. 1980 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 6. The Islanders' first Cup is won by Bobby Nystrom's overtime goal.
1.24.81: Islanders 7, Nordiques 4. 1981 Regular Season. Mike Bossy's 50th goal in 50 games.
2.20.82: Islanders 3, Rockies 2. 1982 Regular Season. Isles' record-setting 15th straight win.
4.13.82: Islanders 4, Penguins 3. 1982 Patrick Division Semi-Finals, Game 5. John Tonelli's overtime winner keeps the Dynasty alive.
5.16.83: Islanders 4, Oilers 2. 1983 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 4. The underdog Islanders win their fourth straight Stanley Cup before passing the torch to the Oilers in 1984.
4.18.87: Islanders 3, Capitals 2. 1987 Patrick Division Semi-Finals, Game 7. The Easter Epic.
5.14.93: Islanders 4, Penguins 3. 1993 Patrick Division Finals, Game 7. David Volek provides the Islanders' greatest moment since the Dynasty.
4.24.02: Islanders 4, Maple Leafs 3. 2002 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Game 4. The Isles' most recent playoff classic is capped by a Shawn Bates penalty shot.
There you have it. The entire history of the Islanders on ten DVDs - well worth the hypothetical $69.99 or so you'd spend on this hypothetical DVD set. I'd certainly buy it.
Zach, how about a Rangers' DVD set? Oh, and you're only allowed two games from 1994. I have a pretty good idea of what those two games will be.
However, this does provide as a nice segue to a piece I've wanted to write for some time. Imagine that I, a die-hard Islanders fan, got the chance to create the definitive DVD boxed set that would encompass the history of the Islanders. And I think I'm a pretty good guy to do it. Unlike the Islanders organization, I am aware that there are things that have happened to this team since 1984. I respect the Dynasty, but I know that it's not the be-all and end-all of the franchise. I have a deep knowledge of the many crappy teams that followed the Dynasty, and those teams will be represented in this DVD set.
We'll do ten games, with any game going more than two overtimes counting as two games (i.e. the Easter Epic). Some of the choices will surprise you because they're not "conventional" - as in, there's no need to include all four Cup clinchers when two of them were road blowouts. That said, this is as good a trip down Islanders Memory Lane as one can get. And away we go!
4.11.75: Islanders 4, Rangers 3. 1975 Preliminary Round, Game 3. The famous J.P. Parise overtime winner that put the Islanders on the map.
5.24.80: Islanders 5, Flyers 4. 1980 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 6. The Islanders' first Cup is won by Bobby Nystrom's overtime goal.
1.24.81: Islanders 7, Nordiques 4. 1981 Regular Season. Mike Bossy's 50th goal in 50 games.
2.20.82: Islanders 3, Rockies 2. 1982 Regular Season. Isles' record-setting 15th straight win.
4.13.82: Islanders 4, Penguins 3. 1982 Patrick Division Semi-Finals, Game 5. John Tonelli's overtime winner keeps the Dynasty alive.
5.16.83: Islanders 4, Oilers 2. 1983 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 4. The underdog Islanders win their fourth straight Stanley Cup before passing the torch to the Oilers in 1984.
4.18.87: Islanders 3, Capitals 2. 1987 Patrick Division Semi-Finals, Game 7. The Easter Epic.
5.14.93: Islanders 4, Penguins 3. 1993 Patrick Division Finals, Game 7. David Volek provides the Islanders' greatest moment since the Dynasty.
4.24.02: Islanders 4, Maple Leafs 3. 2002 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Game 4. The Isles' most recent playoff classic is capped by a Shawn Bates penalty shot.
There you have it. The entire history of the Islanders on ten DVDs - well worth the hypothetical $69.99 or so you'd spend on this hypothetical DVD set. I'd certainly buy it.
Zach, how about a Rangers' DVD set? Oh, and you're only allowed two games from 1994. I have a pretty good idea of what those two games will be.
I'll do a list one day this week, either tomorrow night or Friday day. Might have a lot of recent games, because the 80s/early 90s were lean, so were the late 90s/2000s. Expect games from 94-97 and 05-08.
ReplyDeleteOh, I finally read your list (hey, I've been busy!).
ReplyDeleteI think Game 6 of the Leafs (can we call them Leaves?) series was better than Game 4, but that might just be cuz I was there.
Game 6 did rule, and I'd put it up there with the classics because I was there as well. However, Game 4 is the better game - the third period was crazy, and the penalty shot is one of those all-time moments in franchise history.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I like about all of these games is that they're all watchable from start to finish. Game 6 was a blowout. Would someone just learning about the Islanders want to watch 50 fights in the third period? I'm not so sure. Besides, they lost Game 7 anyway, so it didn't even matter. Game 4 was the best of the series in my opinion.