Maven's Memories: Isles Almost Pull Off Another Miracle Vs Flyers

The Islanders never can seem to win a playoff game until they've lost the first three. -
-- Dave Anderson, New York Times columnist.
After their miraculous comeback after being down three-games and then winning four straight against Pittsburgh, the Nassaumen could be forgiven for believing that destiny was wearing an Islanders uniform.
Hopes that they were a team of destiny would be tested in the 1975 semi-final round against the defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers.
Talk about challenges, this would be titanic considering the opponent; otherwise known as The Broad Street Bullies or Ferocious Flyers; take your pick.

No matter what they were called, the Philadelphians had all the credentials: 1. They were the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup; 2. Seeking a repeat, they had a stronger team than the previous year; 3. They were the NHL's most intimidating outfit.
"For us, the Flyers were a brand new thing," said J.P. Parise. "We knew and admitted that they were a better team than us. They didn't win the Cup just by beating people up.
"They had guys like Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber and the best goalie, with Bernie Parent. We were sort of feeling our way against them; tentative and unsure."
And, for three games, they played that way. Parent blanked them 4-0 in the opener; then 5-4 in overtime and 1-0 in the first game at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Adding a light note to what appeared to be a disaster-in-the-making, Al Arbour comically opined, "We got them where we want them."

If there was going to be any repeat-miracle, it had to start happening in the next game in Uniondale, May 7, 1975. If someone had played Frank Sinatra's classic recording of "All Or Nothing At All," it would have summed up the Isles precarious position.
"You'd think that we were up-tight," remembered Glenn Resch, star of the Penguins series. "But we were much looser being down three games. We felt we could repeat it."
The Isles sure looked it, after they established a 3-0 lead. But that disappeared as fast as you can say, "One, Two Three," which comprised the next trio of red lights; all belonging to Philly.
In the final seconds of the third period, the Coliseum crowd gasped as the Flyers hardest shooter, Reggie Leach, fired a bazooka at Resch. It beat Chico, that was for sure, but did it end he game -- and the Islanders.
Not so fast. Referee Dave Newell rushed to linesman Claude Bechard and Leon Stickle. Following their high-level conference they disallowed the goal on the grounds that the puck beat Resch after the final buzzer sounded.
"Given that new life," said Denis Potvin, "we were obligated to do something positive."
And they did; in a hurry. Before the sudden-death period was two minutes old, Jude Drouin scored, sending the headline-writers and reporters rushing to produce new words for the Isles.
Writing in the Daily News, reporter Bill Verigan observed, "The legend of the Islanders grew last night."
A Post headline was no less enthused: YES, THE ISLANDERS BELIEVE.
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That pushed the series to a Game Five at The Spectrum on May 8th and, suddenly, the pendulum had swung the Islanders way with a 5-1 win. It was punctuated by some emphatic punches leveled by Clark Gillies against Dave (The Hammer) Schultz.
"Three good punches landed," the huge left wing recalled. "The first one got him near the nose. I had him going pretty good."
Gillies arms were flailing like windmills and when the dust had finally cleared, The Hammer appeared to be a man who once looked like Dave Schultz. As for the Islanders, the Gillies TKO proved that no team -- not even the Bullies -- could push them around with impunity.
On May 11th the miracle-in-the-making had a chance to grow. It was another Game Six in Uniondale and the Arbourmen had trouble explaining this comeback after the one against Pittsburgh.
Denis Potvin: "We were like a guy at Vegas who defies the Law of Probability by main point after point on a bot roll. The stickmen say, 'He's unconscious.' That was our secret."
Sure enough, it carried over into their latest do-or-die game. After Philly took a 1-0 lead before the game was a minute old the Flyers held the edge until Potvin potted one on a late second period power play.

This time the defense didn't rest -- at least not the Islanders' side. Original Nassau blueliner Gerry Hart beat Bernie Parent at 3:42 of the third. After that, Resch posted his "Off-Limits" sign and exited with a 3-2 decision.
The series was tied at three wins apiece and to say that this state of playoff affairs was un-real would be the understatement of the half-century.
As it happened, some Islanders believed that winning Game Seven at The Spectrum would be as simple as the Game Seven win over Pittsburgh.
"We had all the momentum," said Ed Westfall. "We were going one way -- up. They were sliding but we were over-aggressive. We felt we'd knock them right off in the seventh game and we were too exuberant."
No question, the Flyers were worried. Philly owner Ed Snider went so far as to invite legendary vocalist Kate Smith to appear in person prior to the match. When Kate's recording of "God Bless America" had been played pre-game the Flyers record was 40-3-1.
In three previous in-person appearance Smith batted a thousand -- three-for-three. The Islanders knew that but finding an antidote to Kate was not simple, although the prevailing myth was that Westfall planned to present her with a bouquet of roses.
During our exclusive interview last Fall, Eddie revealed what actually happened; that the flower presentation actually was accidental.
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There was no thought of a flower presentation until Gerry Hart showed up at the dressing room with a bouquet of chrysanthemums. A fan had just given it to him for good luck and he didn't know what to do with them.
Westfall: "I told Gerry to give me the flowers and I'd give them to Kate and this we way would steal some of the Flyers' thunder. So I took the chrysanthemums and told the guys to follow me; which they did and we presented them to her and then all shook her hand.
"She was rattled and almost couldn't sing. A few weeks later, she was on tv. She said,'Here I am, getting pumped up and this handsome Islanders captain presents me with this beautiful bouquet. You know I almost couldn't sing. What I couldn't figure is he he knew my favorite flower is a chrysanthemum?'"
But she did sing and within a minute of the opening face-off Gary Dornhoefer beat Resch and just over two minutes later Rick MacLeish did likewise. How come the Cinderella team suddenly turned pumpkin?
"We were high as the sky when we left the dressing room," Denis Potvin asserted. "But instead of being able to do our thing, we had to stand around for fifteen minutes while the Kate Smith ritual was performed.
"After those first two Philly goals we never did recover. We skated off the ice later that night, losers, 4-1. Full credit to the Flyers they were better than we were in the game we had to win."
As it happened, the Flyers would move to the Cup Final and win their second consecutive Stanley Cup, but they never forgot theIr semi-fine foe.
When shaking hands with the Islanders during the post-series meeting, Flyers coach told Denis Potvin in no uncertain terms, "Your Islanders have arrived!"

LISTS: TEN LESSONS OPPONENTS LEARNED ABOUT THE NASSAUMEN BASED ON THE ISLES RUN TO THE 1975SEMI-FINALS:
1. An Al Arbour team never quits.
2. A Bill Smith-Glenn Resch tandem is a solid one-two goaltending punch.
3. The roster needed one more solid center. "We should have promoted Bryan Trottier from Juniors," said J.P. Parise. "He could have been the difference."
4. With sluggers such as Clark Gillies, Gerry Hart, Bob Nystrom and Gary Howatt, no team could physically intimidate the Islanders.
5. Dens Potvin was only a year away from superstardom.
6. Ed Westfall was the face of the franchise.
7. Bill Torrey and Al Arbour had formed one of the most formidable general manager-coach units in the NHL.
8. The Islanders had scored a major victory over the Rangers in the "Battle of New York" and had become fan favorites in the Met Area.
9. Promising young talent such as Gillies, Bob Bourne, Gary Howatt, Dave Lewis and Billy Harris were blossoming into significant assets at their positions.
10. The best was yet to come.
NEXT WEEK: BEHIND THE ASTONISHING ACQUISITION OF BRYAN TROTTIER.