Where it all began
The New York Islanders made their debut in the NHL in the fall of 1972. Under the direction of head coach Phil Goyette - who was replaced mid-season by Earl Ingarfield - the team finished the 1972-73 season with a 12-60-6 record.
The first meeting between the Canadiens and the Islanders was played at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, NY, on October 24, 1972. The Habs defeated the league's newcomers 4-3, and went on to win each of the remaining four contests between the Isles and Canadiens that season.
It wasn't until the following season that New York knocked off Montreal for the first time. On February 19, 1974, the Islanders earned a 5-3 win over their newfound rivals, much to the delight of the New York faithful inside Nassau Coliseum.
First playoff matchups
In 1976, the Islanders and Canadiens met for the first time in the postseason during the semi-final of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Montreal prevailed, winning the series 4-1 over the New Yorkers. Nonetheless, the Islanders managed to hand Yvan Cournoyer and the Canadiens their only loss of the 1976 playoffs. Neither the Blackhawks, nor the Flyers saw a glimpse of daylight against the Canadiens who swept both series en route to the first of their four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1976 to 1979.
Montreal and New York renewed their rivalry the ensuing year, but the result was nearly identical. The Canadiens continued their dominance of the Isles, winning the series 4-2 this time around. Again, the Islanders were the only team to taste victory against the Canadiens, who swept the Blues in the first round that year, and then followed suit against the Bruins in the final round to defend their Stanley Cup title.
Two teams, eight Stanley Cups
After the Canadiens dominated not only the Islanders, but the entire league over four consecutive seasons, winning the Stanley Cup in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979, it was the Islanders turn to take the reins. A foundation of talented youth, including Montreal native Mike Bossy, powered the Isles to four straight Stanley Cups, knocking off the Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars, Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983, respectively.
The Islanders punched their ticket to a fifth straight Stanley Cup final in the 1983-83 season, but failed to get past Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers this time around.
That season, New York and Montreal clashed three times in the regular season. The Islanders swept the season-series, scoring no less than seven goals in each of the three meetings. Final score lines read 7-4, 7-3 and 7-0 in favor of the Isles.
To this day, the Islanders and Canadiens stand as the only teams in NHL history to have won four consecutive Stanley Cups. The Canadiens' five Stanley Cups from 1956 to 1960, inclusively, stands as the record for most consecutive championships in the history of the league.
A Montrealer in Long Island
Mike Bossy was born January 22, 1957 in Montreal. After five seasons with the Laval National in the QMJHL, from 1972-73 to 1976-77, Bossy made the jump to professional ranks where he debuted with the Islanders. New York selected the forward in the first-round (15th overall) of the 1977 NHL Draft which was held in, you guessed it, Montreal!
Bossy, who established his stature on the right wing, played 10 seasons in the NHL, all on Long Island. At the end of the 1986-87 campaign, Bossy closed the curtains on a career decorated in honors: four Stanley Cups, Calder Trophy (1978), Conn Smythe Trophy (1982), three Lady Byng trophies (1983, 1984, 1986), and seven All-Star selections.
