Volek/18

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

The Pens have had many game 7 disappointments on home ice, including these two
that are very familiar to Isles fans:

<<May 14, 1993: David who?
Civic Arena
Islanders 4, Penguins 3
The Penguins finished the regular season with a NHL-record 17-game winning
streak, then crushed New Jersey in first round and were expected to destroy the
Islanders on their way to a third consecutive Stanley Cup. Many players from
that club still believe it was the greatest team in Penguins history. But it
couldn't finish off the Islanders, who won Game 6, 7-5, in Long Island, then
stunned the Penguins, 4-3, in Game 7 at Civic Arena when obscure forward David
Volek beat Tom Barrasso at 5:16 of overtime (Tom Fitzgerald also was on this
Islanders team). The game got off to a horrific start when Penguins winger Kevin
Stevens collided in mid-air with Islanders defenseman Rich Pilon. Stevens
sustained massive facial injuries. It marked the third time the Islanders
eliminated the Penguins in the deciding game of a playoff series. The Islanders
played the series without their best player, Pierre Turgeon. "Without a doubt,
we should have won it," Penguins defenseman Larry Murphy later said. "It just
goes to show: The best team doesn't always win the Stanley Cup."

April 26, 1975: Utter despair
Civic Arena
Islanders 1, Penguins 0
Ed Westfall scored the only goal — a backhander that beat goaltender Gary Inness
— with 5:18 left in regulation to complete the visiting New York Islanders'
comeback from a three-games-to-none deficit. The Penguins had their chances;
Pierre Larouche hit the post twice.
Westfall was late leaving the dressing room after the game and ran into Penguins
center Syl Apps, who wondered why Westfall was all by himself. "I told him,
'Everybody left. Where are you guys going?' "
Westfall later recalled. "He said, 'The Pleasure Bar.' So I went with the
Penguins players and their wives to the Pleasure Bar and sat there drinking
until sunrise.">>

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home
telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on
Twitter @ehornick