When you look around the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum you can’t help but notice the banners hanging in the rafters. They are a not-so-subtle reminder of the bar set by the legends on Long Island.
One of the NHL’s greatest dynasties used to patrol the ice. So dominant were the New York Islanders of the early 1980’s that they won 19 consecutive playoff series, a feat that will never be duplicated.
Ever since Wayne Gretzky and his fluffy, feathered mullet took the NHL by storm and began the next NHL dynasty in Edmonton, Alberta, the Islanders have never been the same. In fairness, no team, not even the great Gretzky teams from Edmonton matched the four straight Stanley Cups and consecutive playoff series wins.
The quarter century following the Isles last Stanley Cup has been littered with futility, fraudulence, poor uniform choices and general incompetence at every level in the organization. The once-proud Islanders have been a combination of punch line, doormat and laughing stock of the NHL in an era that has seen expansion to every corner of North America.
Times are a changing for New York’s “other” team. Led by their star center, and likely new captain, John Tavares, the Islanders punctuated their surprising season last year with a playoff berth and a pesky series with the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins. The Islanders were a couple of unlucky bounces and overtime goals from shocking the Pens and the hockey world, but honestly, they weren’t quite ready for prime time just yet.
Led by unheralded coach Jack Capuano, the philosophy has changed for the Islanders. With the star quality of Tavares rubbing off on players like Matt Moulson and Michael Grabner, New York believes that they are capable of beating anyone, anywhere at any time. The playoff series against the Penguins was a microcosm of what the Islanders were and what they have become.
A 5-0 pasting in Game 1 had the Isles looking overmatched and the expert predicting a short series. New York was cautious and deliberate, allowing the skilled Penguins to pick them apart. By the deciding Game 6, it was the Penguins who were scratching, clawing and persevering through a second overtime win. No one in the Pittsburgh locker room would say so, but the look on the Pittsburgh faces after the Brooks Orpik seeing-eye winner was of utter relief.
The word is out on the Islanders now and they won’t catch anyone sleeping on them. It’s the catch-22 of success. You want the respect of other teams to acknowledge your ability, but once you have it you have to work even harder against an opponent who is prepared for you. The shortened 2013 season wasn’t a fluke for the New York Islanders and the rest of the league has taken notice.
There were no free agent signings on Long Island this past week and the Isles don’t fancy themselves to be players in the open market. They locked up some key pieces to long-term deals and that is exactly what they needed to do. They acquired noted NHL hit man Cal Clutterbuck while dumping under-performing Nino Niederreiter. Contracts were sent out to retain the services of goaltender Evgeni Nabokov for another year and rugged defenseman Travis Hamonic was locked up for another seven year deal.
The Islanders have the NHL’s lowest payroll, currently sitting $20 million plus under the salary cap. They have a couple of restricted free agent contracts yet to finalize and could still pick up some supplementary talent in the fleeced free agent pool. There are young stars on the rise like forwards Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome and defenseman Griffin Reinhart.
When the 2013-14 season kicks off, the New York Islanders may not be among the Stanley Cup favorites, but that’s just fine by them. There may not be another dynasty brewing on Long Island, but the days of the Islanders being a doormat in the Eastern Conference are long gone.