Maven's Memories: Giving Away the Bank -- of Gifts, Almost!

One of the most memorable broadcasts in Islanders history took place on April 13, 1982 at Nassau Veterans' Memorial Coliseum
That was the night when the two-time Stanley Cup champs staged an un-real, third period comeback against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the deciding game of the Patrick Division Semi-Finals.

A pair of late third period goals by defenseman Mike McEwen and left wing John Tonelli forced overtime, setting the stage for a Bob Nystrom-John Tonelli routine that led to Tonelli's winning goal in overtime.
What nobody in the capacity crowd -- nor anyone for that matter until now -- realized was that a mini drama was taking place in our SportsChannel studio between the second and third periods on that fateful evening.
But, now it can be told.
For starters, you have to know that the Islanders were heavy favorites to oust Pittsburgh in the best-of-five series and seemed to be doing so after building a formidable 2-0 lead in games.
But the Pens took Game Three in overtime and Game Four by a 5-2 spread. All of a sudden there were jitters up and down the streets of Uniondale.
The series that was predicted to be an Isles romp now was looking to be one on the Road to Ruin for the Nassaumen. The drive for a third consecutive Stanley Cup rapid pockmarked with potholes.

But Game Five was there for redemption. "We knew what we were up against," said Nystrom, "and that was a determined team riding an outstanding goalie."
Bobby Ny followed through by scoring the game's first goal at 10:18 of the second period. The capacity crowd of 15,230 relaxed. But not for long.
Pittsburgh's counterattack was devastating and by the time the buzzer sounded the second period's end, the upstart Pens had a 3-1 lead.
What nobody but those in our SportsChannel crew knew was that someone in command had concluded that the series was lost and that would be that for the otherwise hopeful Islanders season.
The other part of this inner sanctum melodrama had to do with the between periods segment which I was about to be hosting.
But first we had to decide on a guest. As we huddled in the studio, a few things came to mind:
1. Penguins goalie Michel Dion was playing what he later would describe as "The best game of my life."
2. The Islanders situation was so dire that our SportsChannel producer concluded that, no way, could we ask coach Al Arbour for one of his players as the between-periods guest.
3. Out of our production huddle, our studio vote was to get a Penguins guest and -- with a bit of last-second hustle -- we obtained a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette who was covering the playoff series.
While we were waiting, our SportsChannel stage manager suddenly encountered a brainstorm.
"Hey," he yelled across the studio, "our guys are done; what are we gonna do with all the gifts?"
YIKES!
Before the postseason began everyone at SportsChannel Central had figured what I figured; what Jiggs McDonald figured: what Eddie Westfall figured and most of Nassau County had come to believe -- that Isles would go to the Final Round once more and win their third straight Cup.
And since the SC network gave away gifts for every pre-game, between-periods and post-game guest, we were stocked for possibly a dozen more home games. Lots of gifts for lots more games; or so everyone thought.
"Dion is too good tonight," the cameraman butt in, "and, I'm tellin' ya, this game and this series is lost!"
The comment was uttered with such a sense of reality that the stage manager got this bright idea:
"Look we got a bank of gifts in that closet; we might as well empty it and give it all to the Pittsburgh writer after we're done with his interview."
By this time the final game result seemed so obvious -- mostly because of Michel Dion's goaltending -- that there were no gloom-dodgers left in the room.
"Might as well give it to this guy," the cameraman agreed, just as our guest walked in and got hooked up for the chat.
Before the red camera light flashed, I leaned over and whispered to the journalist, "When we're finished with the interview, hang around and there'll be a surprise for you."
Then I opened with our interview and we both agreed that Dion's 25 saves-- many of which were of the miraculous variety -- after a pair of periods suggests that Pittsburgh is enroute to one of the biggest playoff upsets in NHL annals.
"You're right," the writer agreed, "but, with the Isles, you never know."
Yeah, but we felt that we knew, and before the reporter left we said, "Come back after the game and you can have all the gifts in our closet."
Then a pause: "All of them." And we meant it, too.
He chuckled and ran off to the press box for the final period.
As for the gifts, we weren't kidding either. The way the game had gone thus far indicated it was the Islanders sayonara for the season; sad as it might have been. We in the studio agreed that SC didn't need the gifts anymore.
Ah, but the Isles diagreed. After trailing, 3-1 for almost 15 minutes of the third frame, Mike McEwen scored. With almost 18 minutes gone, John Tonelli tied the game
And at 6:19 of the overtime -- only after Bill Smith saved his mates, big-time -- Tonelli nailed the winner.
We never saw that Pittsburgh writer again.
We did see those gifts. One by one they moved off the shelf as the Nassaumen next defeated the Rangers and then Quebec before sweeping Vancouver for their third consecutive Stanley Cup.
After the series, our SportsChannel studio clique enjoyed our own little Cup celebration with a few brews.
Before leaving, our cameraman looked back to the memorable Game Five against Pittsburgh; not so much for what happened on the ice but rather in our little tv studio.
"Ya-know, come to think of it," he reflected with consummate wisdom, "it's a good thing we didn't give away all those gifts at the end of the second period!"