SI Flashback: Stanley Cup 1983

By E.M. Swift

With their sweep of the Oilers, the Islanders lifted themselves into the company of the Montreal dynasties

May 23, 1983 Paul Bereswill

Last week, for the fourth time in as many years, Denis Potvin, captain of the New York Islanders, hoisted the Stanley Cup above his head and started on a victory lap, trailed by a mob of jubilant teammates. The Islanders had just beaten the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 to complete a sweep of the best-of-seven playoff finals and establish themselves as one of the greatest hockey clubs in history.

New York used the same formula in the clincher that it had in the first three games of the series. The Islanders scored early -- three goals in a 1:37 span in the first period -- and then relied on disciplined checking and Billy Smith's goaltending to make the lead hold up. "I don't think any team has ever played better in its own end than we did this series," says New York General Manager Bill Torrey. Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky never got a goal, and the explosive Oilers spent the series playing catch-up. Edmonton was ahead only once in the four games and never led at an intermission ...

Says winger Bob Bourne, in defense of New York's less-than-dynamic regular-season record, "No matter what Mr. Arbour [Al, the Islander coach] and Mr. Torrey say, this team can turn it on and off when we want to."

They said it ...

Outstanding company

By winning a fourth straight Cup, the Islanders join some pretty select company. Besides New York, the only major pro franchises to win four or more consecutive titles are the Boston Celtics (1959-66), the New York Yankees (1936-39 and '49-54) and the Montreal Canadiens (1956-60 and '76-79). The similarities between [the '56-60] Canadiens and the '80-83 Islanders far outweigh the differences. Potvin is the modern equivalent of Doug Harvey, Mike Bossy of the Rocket, Bryan Trottier of Jean Beliveau, and Smith is the best playoff goalie going today, as Jacques Plante was in his era. Both clubs had superb special teams. Montreal's power play was so potent that it prompted the NHL to change its rules to allow a penalized player back onto the ice as soon as the other team scored. For their part, the Islanders have led the league in postseason power-play goals every year they've won the Cup. As for penalty killing, the 1960 Canadiens allowed only one goal in 29 chances during the playoffs. Against the Oilers, who had the NHL's top power play this season, New York gave up one goal in 20 opportunities.

Best ever?

Who then, is the best? By the criterion of sustained domination of their era, the '56-60 Montreal teams remain on top. Nine of their players are in the Hall of Fame, whereas the '76-79 Canadiens can reasonably expect five Hall of Famers ( Serve Savard, Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Ken Dryden and Yvan Cournoyer ) and the Islanders three (Potvin, Bossy and Trottier). More significant, the '56-60 Canadiens' string nearly began three years earlier. In 1953, with largely the same lineup it would have during its run of titles, Montreal won the Cup, and then in both '54 and '55 the Canadiens lost to an extraordinary Detroit Red Wings team in the seventh game of the finals. So for eight straight years Montreal either won or was within a game of the championship.

Balancing act

Discounting power-play and shorthanded goals, New York's first line (Trottier, Bossy and Anders Kallur ) scored 17 goals, its second line ( Brent, Duane Sutter and Bourne) 21 goals, and its third ( Bob Nystrom, Butch Goring and John Tonelli ) 18. That sort of balance is insurance against injuries, and the Islanders had more of those this season than either of those notable Montreal teams ever had.

Issue date: May 30, 1983