13 years ago tonight (2001): After winning four straight on the road to start the season, the Isles came home to host Detroit in the first home game for Alexei Yashin, Michael Peca and rookie head coach Peter Laviolette.
| Laviolette (R) with Isles GM Mike Milbury |
It was just 4 1/2 weeks after 9/11 changed our country and the crowd's emotions were stirred before the game even started with a large flag display.
The sellout crowd then saw a magnificent game, with Yashin and Oleg Kvasha (yes, Oleg Kvasha) each scoring twice for the Isles as the Islanders four times built one goal leads. However, the Red Wings of that era were pretty good, too. Sergei Federov, Brett Hull, and Steve Yzerman erased the first three leads, but Kvasha’s second goal with just 3:59 to play gave the Isles a 4-3 lead. However, with Manny Legace on the bench for the extra attacker, Luc Robitaille scored with 10 seconds to play to send the game to overtime. Yzerman’s second goal, midway through the overtime, proved to be the winner. The Isles’ nine points (4-0-1-1) through five games matched the franchise record. They would go on to open 9-0-1-1 en route to their first playoff spot since 1993-94.
"We wanted to get this one for the fans," Laviolette told Newsday's Alan Hahn. "I think that's what is disappointing for us. We let that slip away."
It Happened at the Coliseum... and @islesfan36 was there: "(It was the) first home game after 9/11. Place was already emotional, then (Oleg) Kvasha scored less than a minute in and the roof blew off."
The sellout crowd then saw a magnificent game, with Yashin and Oleg Kvasha (yes, Oleg Kvasha) each scoring twice for the Isles as the Islanders four times built one goal leads. However, the Red Wings of that era were pretty good, too. Sergei Federov, Brett Hull, and Steve Yzerman erased the first three leads, but Kvasha’s second goal with just 3:59 to play gave the Isles a 4-3 lead. However, with Manny Legace on the bench for the extra attacker, Luc Robitaille scored with 10 seconds to play to send the game to overtime. Yzerman’s second goal, midway through the overtime, proved to be the winner. The Isles’ nine points (4-0-1-1) through five games matched the franchise record. They would go on to open 9-0-1-1 en route to their first playoff spot since 1993-94.
"We wanted to get this one for the fans," Laviolette told Newsday's Alan Hahn. "I think that's what is disappointing for us. We let that slip away."
It Happened at the Coliseum... and @islesfan36 was there: "(It was the) first home game after 9/11. Place was already emotional, then (Oleg) Kvasha scored less than a minute in and the roof blew off."
Howie and Joe have the call of Kvasha's first goal... look for the great play by Alexei Yashin to set it up.
Also on this date: (1984): In the first home game of the post-Cup era, Mike Bossy’s overtime goal was the difference as the Isles beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-6. It was the Isles’ last home win over Chicago until 1997. (2011): John Tavares became the first Islander in nearly fifteen years to record four points in a period as the Isles rolled to a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
All-time, the Isles have played seven October 13th games at the Coliseum and finish with a 2-4-1 record on this date at 1255 Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale.
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