LaFontaine reflects on winning 'Easter Epic' with Islanders in 1987

Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday.

This week, Fischer shares an interview with Pat LaFontaine about the "Easter Epic" Stanley Cup Playoff game in 1987 between the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals, which was decided in the fourth overtime.

When the Islanders lost Game 4 of the best-of-7 first-round series in the 1987 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Capitals, did you think your season was over?

"We were down three games to one and most of the media was counting us out, but they neglected a few things. We had a new, good coach in Terry Simpson, who had replaced Al Arbour. Plus, we still had players who grew in stature with the Islanders never-give-up tradition. Denis Potvin, Brent Sutter and Mike Bossy were still with us and they gave us a boost. We won the next two games and tied the series at three apiece. Game 7 was at the Caps rink, but we weren't worried. We were the first team since 1975 to make such a comeback, and that also was the Islanders."

What were you thinking on the day of Game 7? What was the atmosphere like?

"We certainly weren't thinking about anything like overtime or what eventually happened. But we were surprised by the media interest. After all, this was only the first round, not the Cup Final. On the other hand, it was the only Game 7 of the first round so that's what accounted for all the press. There was not only an ESPN crew but both English and Canadian TV and the crews from our two teams. It was pretty evident that the NHL's spotlight was on our two teams. All things considered, we felt that the whole hockey world was watching us."

How would you describe the ebb and flow of the game?

"Washington had the better of the play in the first period and, of course, the Caps had the hometown crowd behind them. They got a goal late in the first period from Mike Gartner, who was a speed demon all night. But we came back and tied it (1-1) in the second thanks to Patrick Flatley. Then, they went ahead again (2-1) with less than two minutes left in the middle period. Of course, we couldn't have known it then, but it was Washington's last goal."

What turned it around for the Islanders in the third period?

"We only had five shots on goal in each of the first two periods, but we ramped it up in the third and managed 11 shots. Naturally, the best of all was Bryan Trottier's shot with a little more than five minutes left. 'Trots' was off to the right of the net and, frankly, it wasn't that hard a shot, but it fooled their goalie Bob Mason and that was it for the scoring, heading into overtime."

How did the first sudden-death period go?

"Both sides had good chances. A little past the 13-minute mark, we thought we had it when little Bob Bassen got a breakaway, but he shot the puck into Mason's stomach. But the Caps had plenty of chances and with less than a minute left in the first OT, Greg Smith beat our Kelly Hrudey but his shot hit the right post and we escaped to live for another period."

Was the officiating tight in overtime?

"Andy van Hellemond was handling the game -- a veteran official. He didn't call a penalty in the first overtime but in the second he called two pairs -- one of their guys and one of ours each time -- plus he gave the Caps a misconduct later in the period. All things considered, nobody got a power play out of it, but they really poured it on, big-time. If it wasn't for Kelly Hrudey's goaltending, we'd have been done. Gartner and Bobby Gould had excellent chances, but Kelly was at the top of his game. It still was 2-2 after the second OT."

Can you describe the fatigue factor in the third overtime?

"By this time, you could see the effect all the pressure and energy had on the guys. Naturally we both wanted to end it right away. As a result, there were many scoring chances early on, and then exhaustion set in and it was survival of the fittest. After the second overtime, Mikko Makela and I asked our trainers if there was any oxygen available. We didn't think they could get it but they did. I believe that they got it from the Caps trainers, which didn't make Washington's coaches very happy."

What was it like in your room between periods?

"The ways of relaxing and catching our breaths varied from player to player. Some players just stretched out on their backs with their feet up on the benches by the lockers. We all needed to conserve whatever stamina we had. And I kept on yelling across the room: 'Who's gonna be the hero? Who's gonna be the hero?' Meanwhile, the spectators in the stands were beginning to get stressed out because of the time and a few were even sleeping."

Could you tell from the play on the ice which team would win?

"I know that we couldn't have won without Kelly Hrudey's goaltending. He wound up making 73 saves. Later, when he had some time to think about it, Kelly said it was the best game he ever played. Mason had 54 saves for Washington. Still, there was really no telling what would happen. My guess was that the winner would be a 'garbage goal' because that's what happens from time to time in playoff games. Meanwhile, van Hellemond just let us play. There were plenty of infractions that he could have called but I'm sure Andy didn't want a power play to end a game like this."

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What happened before you scored the winning goal in the fourth overtime?

"I was on the bench, getting ready for my next shift when Jimmy Pickard, our equipment manager, drenched me with cold water from a water bottle. He just wanted to cool me off. I remember looking at the clock and it was 1:56 a.m. of the new day, which happened to be Easter Sunday. Then the organist at Capital Centre started playing the theme from 'Twilight Zone' and I thought to myself, 'Is this really happening?' I was about to go over the boards for another shift when 'Pick' told me that I was the one who was gonna score the gamer-winner."

How did the series-winning goal develop?

"When Terry (Simpson) said it was my shift, a forward came off the ice. Normally, I would have gone in deep in their zone where the puck was going. But before I made my move, I noticed that our left defenseman Gord Dineen had left his position and pinched in deep. I figured then and there that the best move for me was to stay back by the blue line until Gord got back to his defensive spot. But Gord went all the way behind their net while I stayed back at the point, just to play it safe. Meanwhile, Gord was behind their net and the next thing I knew was that the puck was heading right to me."

What were you thinking at that point?

"I noticed that one of our forwards, Dale Henry, was camped in front of their crease. He was in a good position to screen Mason if the puck ever came back to me, which it did. When I got the puck at the point I just turned around and gave it my best shot. Not that I thought that I would score. Washington had two big defensemen out there -- Rod Langway and Kevin Hatcher -- who I figured -- might block the shot. It seemed as if the puck might have deflected off of Hatcher. Then I heard a clunk."

Did you know it was in?

"Not right away. I was looking for where the rebound might have gone. I didn't know it was over until everyone on my team started mobbing me. Some guys tackled me and then others realized that Kelly was our hero and they went after him, which was only right. And it was only right that we won the game because in those days the Islanders owned overtime!"