The last time the New York Islanders hosted a Game 1 of a postseason series, “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson was the No. 1 song in the United States, “Beetlejuice” was the top-grossing film, a gallon of gas cost just 91 cents, and the average cost of a new house was $91,600.
Man, 1988 sounded fun. I wouldn’t know because I wasn’t even born yet.
Neither was a faction of Islanders fans, who will see the 31-year drought end tonight when New York hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at the Nassau Coliseum.
The Islanders gained home-ice advantage in the first-round series against all odds as countless writers, pundits, and analysts (including myself) chose them to finish near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference.
Behind the defensive structure implemented by first-year head coach Barry Trotz, the Islanders transformed from the NHL’s worst defensive team to its best, becoming the first team in 100 years to pull off such a feat.
The goaltending duo of Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss, a pair of afterthoughts who have battled struggles and — in Lehner’s case — personal demons, have become the best 1-2 punch in net in hockey.
It’s been good enough to cover for an offense that has struggled at times, especially on a power play that has been one of the worst in the NHL over the past month especially, as the Islanders accrued 103 points on a year they were expected to finish with 20 fewer.
That’s their best regular season since 1983-84 when the dynasty that won four-straight Stanley Cups came to an end against some guy named Wayne Gretzky and his Edmonton Oilers.
This year’s edition of the Islanders will now meet a Penguins team that has won the Stanley Cup twice in the past three years and is laden with star power in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, and Kris Letang. The individualistic Pens are the antithesis of what the Islanders have been this year: A collection of players who have stressed teamwork over individual successes where no player had over 62 points to his name.
It creates theatre for one of the most intriguing series of the first round of the playoffs while reigniting a rivalry that has seen its fair share of drama and malice over the years.
While the Penguins attempt to continue building on their era of dominance, the Islanders are looking to create a new legacy that will shed the past three decades of futility.
Dating back to 1994, this is a team that has won just a single playoff series. But this year seems different. And the Penguins will have to try and survive the raucous Nassau Coliseum for (at most) four games this series. Call a contractor, because the roof might rip off the Old Barn this week.
2019 head-to-head
Islanders projected lines
Islanders X-Factors
POWER PLAY – The Islanders power play has been abysmal as of late, converting on just three of their last 50 man-advantage opportunities. For an offense that has been sputtering as of late, the power play needs to step up if the Islanders want to keep up with the explosive Penguins.
THE GOALTENDING – The backbone of the Islanders in Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss have to be stalwarts in order to stymie the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
