It Happened at the Coliseum … on DECEMBER 20th

31 years ago tonight (1983) – Of all the games in Coliseum history, the Isles have scored 11 goals in only one of them, an 11-3 victory over Pittsburgh.  

This game was actually tied 3-3 halfway through, but the Isles scored eight times in the final 30 minutes as they set team records for goals and points (30) in a game – both records were later tied.

It was a total team effort as each of the first eight goals was scored by a different player.  In all, nine Islanders lit the lamp behind Penguin goaltenders Denis Herron and Michel Dion and sixteen Islanders recorded at least one point.

Butch Goring was honored by the NHL before playing in his 1,000^th NHL game. 

Butch (L) and Lord Stanley

 

Mike Bossy (1-3-4), Bryan Trottier (2-2-4) and Tomas Jonsson (0-4-4) each had four points as the Isles won their fifth straight game and extended their unbeaten streak to eight games.

“You don’t like to pour it on like that”, Goring told the NY Times’ Kevin Paul Dupont.  “But you can’t go out there and not try anymore; you just can’t do it.”

Here's the historic scoring summary:

 

1 - NYI : Sutter B 19 (Langevin, Persson) (EV) 2:02 2 - NYI : Sutter D 8 (Potvin, Jonsson) (PP) 3:05 3 - PIT : Rissling 1 (Shedden, Maxwell) (PP) 6:04 4 - PIT : Bullard 22 (Maxwell) (PP) 7:40 5 - NYI : Persson 6 (Bossy, Trottier) (PP) 12:45 Penalties - PIT - O'Regan 2:25 ; NYI - Gillies 4:05 ; NYI - Gillies ( (maj)) 4:05 ; PIT - Mcsorley ( (maj)) 4:05 ; NYI - Morrow 5:41 ; PIT - Rissling 7:59 ; PIT - Gatzos 12:42 ; PIT - Fox 17:39 ;

Second Period

6 - PIT : Kehoe 14 (Shedden) (PP) 3:04 7 - NYI : Bossy 25 (Trottier, Jonsson) (EV) 10:34 8 - NYI : Trottier 23 (Bossy, Jonsson) (PP) 13:53 9 - NYI : Tonelli 13 (Goring, Nystrom) (EV) 14:55 Penalties - NYI - Sutter B 1:59 ; NYI - Dineen 11:04 ; PIT - Maxwell (Misconduct (10 min)) 13:10 ; PIT - Maxwell 13:10 ; NYI - Morrow 15:51 ; NYI - Tonelli 17:07 ; PIT - Carlyle 17:07 ; PIT - Boutette 18:50 ;

Third Period

10 - NYI : Potvin 6 (EV) 8:45 11 - NYI : Gilbert 6 (Bossy, Potvin) (EV) 9:14 12 - NYI : Tonelli 14 (Nystrom, Jonsson) (EV) 13:42 13 - NYI : Trottier 24 (Kallur) (EV) 17:23 14 - NYI : Hallin 2 (Bourne, Gillies) (EV) 19:02 Penalties - NYI - Persson 19:31 ; NYI - Persson 19:31 ; PIT - Rissling 19:31 ; PIT - Rissling 19:31 ;

  

Also on this date: (1977) – Michel Bergeron scored two goals and added two assists and the Isles scored six third period goals enroute to a 9-1 avalanche over the Colorado Rockies. Al Arbour recorded his 200^th NHL win.

All-time, the Isles have played five December 20th games at the Coliseum and have won them all, as they have compiled a 5-0-0 record on this date at 1255 Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale.  The sixth and final December 20th home game is tonight –as the Isles host Tampa Bay at 7:00. Make sure you’re there, because after tonight, there are only 25 regular season games remaining.