Maven's Memories: Isles-Rangers Feud: Heating Up Into the 1990s

Fortunately, there were no olive trees planted on the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum acreage late in the 1980's
Nor were there any around Madison Square Garden although it was -- at least in name -- a Garden.
And a good thing too, because if any landscaper suggested that both teams share an olive branch -- or similar peace symbol -- during the 1989-90 season, laughter would be heard all the way to Gardiner's Bay.
Describing diplomatic relations between the Nassaumen and the Blueshirts in 1989-90, co-author of "Rangers vs. Islanders," Zachary Weinstock called it, "The Epitome of Hatred."
The feudin', fussin' and fightin' seemed destined to last for an eternity and certainly in the first meetings of the new '89-'90 season.

Typical were the shenanigans that erupted right off the bat with a home and home set during the final weekend of October.
The bashin' body blitz began in the second game -- at Uniondale -- launched by Isles toughie Mick Vukota who quickly identified his first victim.

Mighty Mick torpedoed the Blueshirts flagship center Carey Wilson in a crash that dispatched Wilson to the hospital with a two-month recovery prognosis.
Not surprisingly, the Manhattanites counterattacked. Their assault featured rookie winger Troy Mallette who wound up gouging the eye of Islanders defenseman Dean Chynoweth.
Mallette was given a match penalty and later was witness for his own defense when he explained his actions to the media: "Dean's face was right there," Troy argued. "I was trying to get some shots in!"
Since no armistice was declared, the fisticuffs continued down to the final buzzer by which time both coaches abandoned revolutionary decorum. Witnesses claimed that their decibel counts soared to new heights.
MAVEN'S MEMORIES
WRITTEN COVERAGE
From Long Island Arena to UBS Arena
Isles Sweep Rangers in 1981
Road to 1981 Cup, Round 2
First Steps Towards 1981 Cup
From Viking to Uniondale, the Sutter Bros
Bob Bourne's End to End Rush
Mikko Makela: The Flying Finn
Stan's 17 Birthday Memories
Jason Blake Played Big
Shirley Fischler Breaks Gender Barriers
Jim Devellano, The Other Architect
The 2003-04 Season
Mike Bossy's Road to the Islanders
Maven's Haven
Meeting in a collision course on Coliseum ice, Al Arbour snapped at Roger Neilson that the Rangers mouthpiece had unnecessarily been ripping him from the bench. "You've got a lot of nerve," Radar shouted.
Neilson then charged at Arbour, but linesman Ray Scapinello intercepted roiled Roger while linesman Pat Dapuzzo put the clamps on Al whose harangue was far from over.
"Your guy's trying to gouge my guy's eye out," Snapped Arbour as hostilities began escalating again.
In this case, the ultimate peacemaker was referee Denis Morel. He wisely directed the pair to their respective dressing rooms with Morel leading the way should they have forgotten from whence they came.
In his clubhouse, Al had a thing or three more to say about Neilson as reporters eagerly noted verbal blow by blow. "
"Roger is nothing but a front-runner," Carped Radar. "When his team is doing well, he's great. And when it's the other way, forget about it. He's got a guy who gouged our player again, and he's yapping away."
Not that Neilson needed any legal advice, but just in case, Rangers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck chimed in with a delicious diatribe supporting his mentor.
"It's unfortunate when a team shows its frustration in fisticuff-type ways. It's also a proven fact that Arbour's team never will go down without a fight. The big boys come out and things happen."
So the "War of 1989-90" was on and the only uncertainty was when the next skirmish would explode and that didn't take very long. As a matter of fact, it was detonated in the next game, November 12, 1989.

Call it bizarre; call it what you will but an angry Arbour charged -- of all things -- that Rangers defenseman Brian Leetch was wearing skates with an unlicensed logo. That, in Radar's eyes constituted an infraction.
Al demanded that Leetch be penalized but referee Bill McCreary nixed any such punishment. (Brian merely taped over the illegal logo.)
Then, in an attempt to clarify matters, McCreary skated up to the Isles bench and explained why there was no penalty. Arbour listened but disagreed.
Finally, the Islanders coach merely removed his eyeglasses; a move that could have been for any number of reasons. However, the zebra decided that Al's glasses removal was not an attempt to rest his optics.
McCreary figured Al was telling him that he was blind. "I was just taking them off," Arbour later explained but, alas, that was too late, McCreary already had slapped him with a bench minor for glasses removal.
As it happened, the Isles lost the game, 4-2, and in his post-game postmortem, Arbour concluded, "I guess we have to battle everybody!"
Meanwhile, the "Islanders-Rangers-Officiating Follies" resumed in a subsequent intercounty battle; this time at The Garden with the Nassaumen ahead, 3-2, and looking very much like the eventual victors.
But Radar's reverie was disturbed when referee Ron Shick called four straight penalties against the visitors and by the end of the second period, Al was fit to be tied -- and penalized.
After absorbing Radar's stiff, verbal thwacking, Shick informed the coach that he had just inspired an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Once the Rangers power play began in the final frame, the Rangers John Ogrodnick scored the eventual game-winner. The 6-3 Blueshirts victory stung Arbour to the very core; but not nearly as much as Shick's officiating.

As (bad) luck would have it, Al walked down the hallway toward his dressing room and spotted Shick. That did it!
Radar charged at the officials but, fortunately for all parties, Bow Tie Bill Torrey and a security guard intervened to keep the altercation non-physical.
The Isles kept their clubhouse closed and only Torrey addressed the press. Ironically, he avoided discussing the officiating but took his argument to another level -- the traditionally poor Garden ice.
"That game should not have been played," The GM insisted. "I've got three guys waiting to see the doctors because of ruts in the ice. The place is a joke."
The reporters then scurried to the Rangers' room and asked Neilson how his team was able to play so well on poor ice. Roger thought for a moment and then grinned, "We know where the ruts are!"
Before the newsmen could leave, Neilson added that another "showdown of toughness may come."
He was thinking of the seventh and final game of the Isles-Rangers series; an afternoon game on -- of all events -- St. Patrick's Day.
As expected, it was Fight Day at The Barn but, only in the stands. On the ice, decorum was the order of the day. The Isles broke out of a slump, winning 6-3 on a Brent Sutter hat trick along with Pat LaFontaine's three points.
It was a key victory that would ignite an unexpected gallop by the Uniondalers toward an elusive playoff berth. And, lo and behold, the Islanders squeezed into the postseason on the final night of the campaign.
That was one bonus for the Nassaumen. Then they learned there'd be yet one more prize; another Expressway Series was in the works.
Their first-round foe would be none other than the Rangers!