It Happened at the Coliseum … on DECEMBER 30th

39 years ago tonight (1975) – The Islanders felt like they had something to prove when they hosted the Stanley Cup Champion Flyers, and they did.  Bob Nystrom scored three goals for his second career hat trick as the Isles broke a 2-2 tie and went on to a 6-2 victory over the Flyers.

The Isles jumped out to a 2-0 lead on first period power play goals by Billy Harris and Jude Drouin, outshooting the Flyers 22-9 in the session but Rick MacLeish evened the contest with a pair of 2^nd period power play goals of his own.

Nystrom broke the 2-2 tie at 15:59 of the second and then sandwiched third period goals around Harris’ second power play goal of the game.

Bobby Clarks won the Stanley Cup in both 1974 & 1975
 but neither he, nor the Flyers, have won another one.

It was the Isles’ third victory in as many tries against the team the eliminated them in the previous season’s semi-finals and Bobby Clarke, the Flyer captain, took notice: “”Maybe they’re better than we are.  Certainly they’re the best team we have faced this year”.







Nystrom noted that it was nice to score a hat trick against the champions, telling Newsday’s Pat Calabria: “When you do it against a team like the Flyers, it’s a pretty good thing.”  About 41 months later, Nystrom would do “it” against the Flyers again – and that was a great thing.

Also on this date: (1980) – Butch Goring recorded his second hat trick as an Islander and added an assist as the Isles pounded Colorado 9-3. Steve Tambellini, who would be traded to Rockies ten weeks later, added a goal and two assists.

(Tambellini btw is currently involved in the Spengler Cup. Read more here:

All-time, the Isles have played seven December 30th games at the Coliseum and finish with a 4-3-0 record on this date at 1255 Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale.