History Will Be Made - Wayne Gretzky 1983 Finals

[vesivialvy]

it's a well-known fact that in 1984 Dicky Moore organized 2 or 3 specials night exclusively for his ex-teammates from the 5 cups teams of the Canadiens (56-60) who were still alive and healthy to watch the Oilers win the stanley cup Dollard St-Laurent a defensemen of this Montreal dynasty team once sait that when the Oilers won the stanley cup , the 15 old ex-canadiens jumps as kids ,so happy to watch the islanders failing to get their 5th cup that would equal the Montreal record of 5...lol

[vesivialvy]

...and also the Islanders were the first stanley cup's champ to lose the title with scores like this 7-2 , 7-2 , 5-2...badly beaten !! ..also , I have something to say in their favor that nobody speaks today , we all know the Edmonton Oilers accident (Steve Smith in 86) that cut the oilers dynasty , saying that kind of badluck never happenned to the Islanders is ridiculous ! in 79 , they finish 1st overall NHL standings, they were strong enough to play Montreal in finals and they lost vs Rangers

[vesivialvy]

sorry ! but with all the respect i can have for the Islanders of 80-83 and even if this is the only modern hockey club dynasty to came at only 3 wins to equal the 5 stanley cups of Mtl in late 50's , they were between Montreal (76-79) and Edmonton (84-85 ,86-87 and 90) and the weakest team of these 3 great hockey clubs...3 more wins vs Edmonton in 84 would have placed them as big as Montreal's best teams...

[jessc1979]

@TheWebBard You're right about the Islanders. There should be one for them, although, since these HWBM commercials focus on individuals, not teams, who should be the star? Bossy, perhaps?

That said, I think Bossy has a point when he says that the Islanders weren't given enough credit. When they were winning 4 cups, the attention was still given to the Canadiens and Oilers.

I also haven't seen anything for Lafleur, Dryden, Howe, Sakic or even Scott Stevens.

[WoodyAllenNY]

@jessc1979

I'm pretty sure I've seen one for Dryden and I think Stevens as well

[jessc1979]

@WoodyAllenNY Was it official or a parody? I went through the NHLVideo account and couldn't find anything. It would be cool though.

[jdugmar]

Gotta give the Isles the edge on Edmonton. I think if we're talking which team produced the better individual players than the oilers win, but as far as teams go? the Islanders played in probably the toughest division,(whereas the oilers had whipping boys in Winnipeg and Calgary) won 19 successive playoffs, and the list goes on...in fact in retrospect Gretzky and Messier have both said that the Islanders taught them how to win! I'm actually a Ranger fan, but you gotta give respect where its due

[cnsrvtvsrule]

For those who like to compare the Islanders Dynasty of the early 80's to the Oilers run in the late 80's, please consider the scope of the Islanders accomplishments:

-4 straight Cups

-5 straight trips to the Finals

-19 consecutive series wins

-72 playoff wins in 5 years against 27 losses

-9 out of 10 years in the semi-finals from 75-84

-Lost to the eventual Cup champion 4 out of the 6 years they lost in the playoffs between 75 and 84

Someone demonstrate which team did more?

[cnsrvtvsrule]

Ever wonder why there are no game Hi-Lites on YouBoob from Game Four of the 1983 Stanley Cup Finals? No Hi-Lites of the Islanders sweeping the Oilers, no Hi-Lites of the great Islanders Dynasty celebrating their 16th consecutive series victory? I know the Hi-Lites exist or even the actual games. Heck, I even have game 4 from 1983 on tape, the entire game with post game interviews. Why are they not on YouBoob?

[TheWebBard]

@cnsrvtvsrule I could convert the video to DVD for you, and then add highlights to youtube.

[mbhockey97]

0:25 not enough greatness to beat them

[NYIJK10]

Greatest Dynasty of all time, no question.

[Scoclamor]

Gretzky goal was from 1:53 of the first period of game 4 of the 1984 Stanley Cup finals. What if Billy Smith hadn't slashed him in game 2 of the 1983 Stanley Cup Finals...maybe history would have been made a year earlier for the Oilers?

[nhlfan33]

In '83 the Oilers were a young team, learning how to win. The all-time GREATEST team is the 80s Oilers dynasty, no doubt about it. The best group of hockey players ever assembled.

[TheWebBard]

@nhlfan33 Islanders won 4 straight Cups. I give the Edge to the Islanders. It would have been nice to see both teams in their prime against each other.

[conservativeco]

@nhlfan33 Not just the Islanders, but the Habs in the 60s, 70s and even 50s for that matter.

Don't forget the Red Wings 95-02; Stanley Cup appearnence 95, Conference Championship closely lost 96, Cups in 97, 98 and 02. Maybe not as flashy as the Oilers, but definetly with Shanny, Federov, Robataille, Hull, Yzerman, Fetisov, Mike Vernon, Hasek, Duschene, Linstrom, Cheli. Don't forget the Wings of 49-55; 4 Stanely Cups with Sawchuck, Mr. Hockey, Syd Abel and Ted Lindsey.

[RELubber]

@nhlfan33 Those Oilers were something back in the day---as were the Isles. But for my money, man for man, the Canadiens of the late 70s were the best "team" I ever saw.

As WebBard said, it sure would be fun to put these great teams in their primes up against each other and see how it'd go, wouldn't it?

[WoodyAllenNY]

@nhlfan33

the Islanders won 19 consecutive playoff series, SWEPT the Oilers in '83 and didn't allow Gretzkey a SINGLE POINT.....the Oilers lost out in '89 to Calgary and in '86 to Montreal.....here we got 4 in a row

[sh4679]

This was 1984. I don't think Gretzky had any goals in 1983

[TheWebBard]

@sh4679 Proving that the 80s Dynasty Islanders were one of the all time greats.

[Scoclamor]

@TheWebBard But then the next year...

[ThatOilersKid]

@TheWebBard I can prove to you that the 2000's islanders were one of the all time shits

[Scoclamor]

@sh4679 He didn't...thanks to Billy Smith...

[jazzguitar2010]

@sh4679 Yep, I think the Isles shut down Gretzky in '83.

[Blackjackal1984]

The goal they show was actually from the 1984 finals, when Edmonton beat the Islanders in 5 games.

[TheWebBard]

@Blackjackal1984 Yes, I know it is, but they are saying "What if there was no greatness" meanwhile the year before the Islanders routed the Oilers. I'm just annoyed that they haven't made any Islanders History will be made yet.

[Scoclamor]

@TheWebBard Don't worry, I got many of the Islanders Stanley Cup games memorized...forever...along with Oiler games memorized...forever!

[StumpNYI]

It really is sad...Despite the last couple of decades the islanders are still one of the most underated franchises in modern day sports. With all do respect to the Canadiens and Oilers cup runs before and after the Isles deserve the recognition.