This Day in Isles History: Jan. 18

Jan. 18, 1973 - In the highlight of the inaugural season, the Islanders defeat Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and the Bruins with a score of 9-7, at Boston Garden.
The game pitted the 4-37-4 Islanders against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Bruins, who entered the game 28-10-4. While the Islanders were written off before contest started, they delivered a significant punch early, scoring five goals in the first period on Bobby Orr and co. to take a 5-1 lead into the first intermission.
"Western Union is going to have all kinds of queries when they send out that score," Torrey said of the events unfolding.
Islanders Captain - and former Bruin - Ed Westfall's second goal of the game made it 6-1 Isles, but the game was far from over. Boston ripped off three quick goals to make it 6-4 by the halfway mark. The Islanders extended their lead to 7-4 before the end of the second period, but the Bruins put a scare in the Islanders, getting as close as 7-6 with a pair of quick goals from Wayne Cashman and Terry O'Reilly. Tom Miller made it 8-6 Islanders, but the Bruins still would not go quietly, as Johnny Bucyk's fourth goal of the night made it 8-7. The Islanders could finally exhale when Billy Harris potted an insurance goal to make it 9-7 late in the third.

Fourteen different Islanders hit the scoresheet in the win, including a pair of three-point games from Harris (2G, 1A) and Don Blackburn (2G, 1A), while Westfall had two goals against the club that left him unprotected in the expansion draft. Billy Smith played betwen the pipes and made 31 saves on 38 shots. Byuck (4G) and Cashman (2G, 2A) each had four-point games, while Orr and Phil Esposito each dished three assists.
Stan Fischler called it the most
significant win of the Islanders 12 victories
in that first season, going punch-for-punch with the defending champs.
Fischler: "Islanders fans who weren't there couldn't believe it. For that matter, neither could I. Their conspicuously underdog heroes surprised the Bostonians with five goals in the first period. Had I thought of it at the time, I would have called it "the dreaded five-goal lead." But that would come decades later. Sure enough, the Bruins counterattacked and by the third period, the home club was now behind by only one measly goal. (7-6). Fortunately, Tom Miller and Billy Harris soon provided the "cushion" scores, clinching New York's 9-7 victory. From then, to eternity, the game will be labeled "The Boston Massacre," Islanders-style!"
Jan. 18, 2021 - The Islanders defeated Boston 1-0 in their final home opener at Nassau Coliseum. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored the sole goal of the game and the eventual game winner. Semyon Varlamov made 27 saves in the shutout win.