It Happened at the Coliseum … on MAY 16th

The team that called Nassau County, NY home for 43 years never played a game at the Coliseum on May 16^th (5/16).

They played only 1 on the road – and it cemented a dynasty:

Also on this date: (1982) – Mike Bossy scored a pair of 2^nd period power play goals to break a 1-1 tie as the Islanders completed a 4-game series sweep of Vancouver to win their third consecutive Stanley Cup.

Butch Goring had given the Islanders a 1-0 lead in the first period, with his 6^th goal of the playoffs, but Stan Smyl gave hope to the home team heading into the first intermission. The Canucks took three penalties in the second period and the Isles, particularly Bossy, made them pay, scoring twice.  It gave Bossy seven goals in the series and 17 goals in the playoffs.

Bossy, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy, became the first player since Jean Beliveau (1956) to score 7 goals in a Stanley Cup Final; he scored 17 goals for the second consecutive playoff year – he would do it again in 1983 (At the time, only Reggie Leach (19 for Philadelphia in 1976) had scored more goals in a single playoff   Jari Kurri (19 in 1985) and Joe Sakic (18 in 1996) are the only other players to score more goals than Bossy in a playoff year.

Billy Smith made 23 saves for the win; he’d have to wait 1 year and 1 day for his Conn Smythe Trophy.

Here's the complete game (edited) replay:

http://video.islanders.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=3168

Here are the Islander goals, from Hockey Night:

And here's the Stanley Cup celebration, as the Isles become the only American-based team to win three straight Stanley Cups:



Three days later there was a parade to salute the Champs:

http://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/20/nyregion/40000-cheer-for-islanders-at-li-parade.html

The Times said that 40,000 were at the Parade -- one of the people who got to ride in that parade was me -- thanks to Jean Potvin for a moment I'll never forget.  I told the story here:
http://www.nyiskinny.com/2014/03/my-parade-ride.html

All-time, the Isles played no playoff games on May 16th at the Coliseum; they compiled a 0-0 playoff record on this date at 1255 Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale.