The two teams headed for Edmonton all even; however, they were there for a longer-than-usual stay. The NHL had mandated a switch to the 2-3-2 playoff format for the Finals that was employed by the NBA and Major League Baseball. The new format, which lasted only two seasons, didn't go over well with the Islanders.

"I don't understand why they switched the format," Potvin says. "I know it was hard on us because we had so many players who were injured -- you can't get the same kind of treatment on the road that you can at home."

Still, the Islanders took a quick lead in Game 3 on a goal by Gillies, and went ahead 2-1 early in the second period when he scored again -- the left winger's fifth goal in less than three games. But a goal by Mark Messier turned the game -- and the series -- in the Oilers' favor.

"We had the lead and Messier's goal turned the game around," Potvin says of the most spectacular tally of the series, in which Messier made a fake that sent defenseman Gord Dineen to the ice and beat Smith to tie the game at 2. "I think from that point, the Oilers began sensing for the first time that they could beat us. They got better and better."

The Oilers kept pressing and took the lead in the final minute of the second period on goals 17 seconds apart by Glenn Anderson and Paul Coffey, then blew the game open in the third period for a 7-2 victory and a 2-1 lead in the series.

Hunter wasn't surprised that Messier was the one whose goal turned the series around.

"Mark was like a pit bull—a great leader who led by example," Hunter says. "When someone makes a play like Mark did, it pumps up the whole bench."

The Oilers cruised to another 7-2 victory in Game 4 -- as Gretzky finally scored -- and because of the new format, had the chance to clinch the series at home. Gretzky scored twice more in the first period of Game 5 and goals by Ken Linseman and Jari Kurri made it 4-0 after two periods.

But the Islanders wouldn't quit. Rookie Pat LaFontaine scored twice in the first 35 seconds of the third period to give the Isles some life and quiet the raucous Northlands Coliseum crowd.

"It was almost like, 'holy smokes, here they come,'" Hunter says. "The Islanders knew what it took to win, and they weren't going to stop playing."

Potvin had a chance to cut the deficit to one goal midway through the third period, but Andy Moog, subbing for an injured Fuhr, stoned him. The volume in the Coliseum grew louder as the clock wound down, and Dave Lumley officially started the biggest party Edmonton had ever seen when he scored into an empty net with 13 seconds remaining.

Mark Messier (left) not only took the Cup home in 1984, he was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy after scoring 26 points in 19 games.

One dynasty was history. A new one was just beginning. And for the Oilers, the fact that they dethroned the Islanders made their championship just a little more special.

"You dream as a kid about going to the Finals and winning the Stanley Cup," Hunter says. "It's the most special thing you can have happen in your life. It's always nice to play against the No. 1 team -- we had such respect for the Islanders. A lot of people didn't realize that."

For the Islanders, the feeling of losing was a shock.

"We were stunned a little bit," Potvin says. "We weren't used to this. We never let ourselves get used to not winning, so it took a little while to sink in. We had expected to win and we were stunned rather than disappointed that we had lost."

Potvin, now a TV analyst for on Florida Panthers' telecasts, says the Oilers' rise was simply a matter of time.

"It was inevitable -- they were a good enough team to win the Stanley Cup," he says. "We were still a good enough team to win; we were trying to do it one more time. We had no excuses."

The Islanders haven't been back to the Finals since then, while the Oilers haven't been there since their 1990 championship. Potvin is quick to praise the Oilers' accomplishments -- four Stanley Cups in five years and five in seven -- as achievements that compare favorably with his own club's legacy of four Cups and those 19 consecutive playoff series victories.

"Those two years (1983 and 1984), there's no doubt that the two best teams were in the Finals," he says. "You have to respect what the Oilers did as much as what we did. They didn't win 19 series in a row or more than two Cups in a row, but does a dynasty mean winning a bunch of championships in a row or being the most dominant team in an era?"