Maven's Memories: Isles Find Next Level in 1980 Series With Bruins

We all know that to win a best-of-seven series, a team must win four games.
That's the real, arithmetical equation -- four wins or nothing at all -- but there are other ways of analyzing a Stanley Cup playoff series. In 1980 the Islanders proved that events in an opening game can help win the round.
The Islanders had just disposed of the Los Angeles Kings in the first playoff round. But that triumph merely catapulted them into the Land of Challenges -- Boston, Massachusetts, home of the Big, Bad Bruins.

"We knew they were going to be difficult," said Mike Bossy. "With guys like Terry O'Reilly, Wayne Cashman, Al Secord, John Wensink and Stan Jonathan, they were one of the strongest teams in the league."
And, the most intimidating.
This would not be a series for the faint of heart and every single one of the Islanders knew that. But three on the Nassau roster would be called upon to be tougher and better than their Beantown big-timers. They included:
1. CLARK GILLIES Otherwise known as "The Sleeping Giant," the large left wing did not favor fighting but when severely provoked, he would have to meet the challenge. And he did! Boston's O'Reilly was a first-hand -- and fist -- witness.
2. BOB BOURNE: A close pal of Gillies from their teenaged years in Saskatchewan, this speed merchant had a short fuse and was itching to get at the Hub sextet. Bourne would blend bop beautiful skating moves to speed his team to victory
3. BOB NYSTROM: Prior to the Boston series, Ny began nudging Gillies, encouraging The Big Guy to challenge the biggest of the Bruins; especially O'Reilly, Eventually Clark took the bait.

Author Barry Wilner, who chronicled the series for The Associated Press, summed up the prevailing opinion in his book -- The New York Islanders -- Countdown to a Dynasty.
"While the Kings series made the Islanders feel like winners," wrote Winner, "the match-up with the Bruins could prove to the players that they were winners. That series would prove to be the turning point in the club's playoff fortunes."
As if the Bruins were not threatening enough, there was another distracting element to consider; Boston Garden. Unlike the standard NHL rink size -- 200 by 85 feet, the Hub surface measured only 83 by 191 feet; ideal for the hard-hitting Bruins.
"It was a hard place for a visitor to play at any time," ventured Bossy.
The opening game at Boston Garden took place on April 16, 1980. Undaunted -- and certainly not intimidated -- Coach Al Arbour's skaters took the home club's best shot.
The first period ended in a 0-0 draw but the Isles went ahead, 1-0, in the fight department after Nystrom gave Wensink a lesson in the Marquis of Queensbury rules.
"Our coming together as a team really began when Ny beat up Wensink," claimed Bourne.
Still, the game remained scoreless -- though nail-biting thrilling -- through the second period.
Having finished fourth overall in the league that season, the Bruins were to knock off the Visitors.
Gillies: "Before the game, I heard a couple of Boston broadcasters pick the Bruins to beat us in five games. They said, condescendingly, that we might win a game but we'd get run out of the rink. They said, 'The Islanders have no chance.'"
It looked like a good call when the Bruins stormed ahead on Peter McNab's goal before the third period was a minute old. But less than three minutes later, Garry Howatt tied the count.
Now it was the Isles turn to rev their motors. In short order, Denis Potvin, John Tonelli and rookie Alex McKendry came close to beating Bruins goalie Gerry Cheevers.
But with less than a half-a-minute left in the third period it appeared for a split-second that O'Reilly had the game-winner. His wrap-around went behind Smith but slid parallel to the goal line and then out of the crease.

Bossy, who had been sidelined with a broken thumb, sighed with relief from his press box seat. Years later, Mike wrote in his autobiography, that he figured the sudden-death period would favor his team.
"We felt it was important to get a jump on them in overtime," wrote Bossy. "That was always our overtime philosophy; put the other team off balance as soon as we can."
Interestingly, the Islanders themselves had been put off-balance at the start of the playoffs. Arbour had pulled Gillies off the Bossy-Trottier line and placed him on a "grinding"
unit alongside Butch Goring at center and Duane Sutter on right wing.
A bit of Islanders "grinding" was required once the first overtime session began and before a minute had elapsed, Boston's sharpshooter Peter McNab was injured and had to be helped off the ice.
The ensuing face-off in the Islanders zone was won by the Visitors. Defenseman Gord Lane -- an unheralded but very effective blue-liner -- nabbed the rubber and skimmed it ahead to Goring on the right side.
Butch negotiated a left turn at center ice when his radar picked up the hustling Gillies in the left lane. Bruins Hall of Fame defenseman Brad Park seemed to have Clark well-covered.
Gillies: "I had gotten up some speed on the wing when Butchie fed me a perfect pass. I stepped outside and around Park. Cheevers came out to cut down the angle but I put it right by him."
The puck flew over the goal line at 62 seconds of the sudden death frame giving the Islanders a 2-1 victory and a 1-0 lead in the series.
Gillies would call it, "as big a goal as I've ever scored."
The big man they called Jethro was not finished with the Bruins. Actually, he had just started doing his physical thing and, as we shall see, eventually finish it.
But good!

LISTS: FOUR LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE GAME ONE TRIUMPH:
1. GOOD MOVE: Coach Arbour's decision -- dramatic, if you will -- to extract Gillies from his traditional spot on Trio Grande with Trottier and Bossy and place Clark with Goring and Sutter paid off handsomely.
2. SMITTY SOLIDIFYING HIS ROLE:More and more, Arbour was going with Smith in goal at the expense of Chico Resch who eventually would be traded in the off-season.
3. THE RIGHT LANE:As intimidating as any Bruin, Lane not only could hit but could pass. The game-winner was launched by Gord's pass to Goring.
4. HOWATT -- ABOUT THAT!The biggest-little grunt among Islanders forwards, Garry Howatt saved the Isles in Game One with his third period goal.