Maven's Memories: The Tumultuous 1990-91 Season

Tumultuous.
In a word, that's what the 1990-91 season was for the Islanders.
In two words "roller-coaster" would describe the ride. And like a roller coaster, it had to start at the bottom.

In more words, the previous (1989-90 season) was no bargain either, but with an asterisk: *It took a slight upward turn for the high command of Bill Torrey and Al Arbour in January 1990.
Having acquired center Hubie McDonough and all-round toughie Ken Baumgartner from Los Angeles, mastermind Torrey sat back, took a puff or three on his stogie and watched his previously-slumping club go into orbit.
The Nassaumen went on an 18-3-1 streak -- opening the new year of 1990 with a nine-game winning run -- and finished the season by gaining a hold-your-breath playoff berth on the final night of the campaign.
The opening round in the spring of 1990 was short and sour for Al Arbour's legion. For starters in the post-season, the Nassaumen faced the Rangers -- and wished that they had not.
MAVEN'S MEMORIES
WRITTEN COVERAGE
Pat Flatley: Chairman of the Boards
Brent Sutter: Anonymous Star
Appreciating John Tonelli
Appreciating Butch Goring
Maven's Haven
If nothing else, the series proved a field day for assorted healthy plans especially in the first playoff game at Madison Square Garden.
Targeting Isles ace Pat LaFontaine as if he had a bullseye on his back, the Rangers finally sent him to the hospital late in the third period with a double-dip head-hammering you wouldn't wish on a pinata.
Blueshirt defenseman James Patrick started the blow-on-top-of-blow by using his elbow like a pile driver. After it sent LaFontaine into tailspin, Chris Nilan added his gavel to shut Patty's eyes, sending him reeling to the ice.
Unconscious, the Islander was removed on a stretcher and eventually placed in an ambulance deep inside Madison Square Garden. By that time, a posse of Rangers fans had surrounded the emergency vehicle and began rocking it.
The Islanders lost the game 2-1 but if there was any revenge for the assault on LaFontaine it took place with two seconds remaining in the game. Arbour sent his two toughies, Mick Vukota and Baumgartner for the final face-off.
Arbour believed that it was necessary to demonstrate that his club would not be intimidated. The ensuing brawl made Al's point but Vukota was hit with a 10-game suspension while -- go figure -- Baumgartner got just one game off.
Except for a double-overtime goal by Brent Sutter in Game Three, the Isles played like the under-.500 club (31-38-11) they were and left the playoffs four-games-to-one losers to their Seventh Avenue rivals.
Radar's disappointment was evident by his somewhat shocking moves in Game Five. The iconic, future Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier was benched along with co-forwards Allan Kerr and Derek King. That alone made headlines.
The fact that a four-Cup Dynasty demon such as Trots would finish his Isles career sitting in an MSG press box could be comparable to the Yankees having Derek Jeter benched in his last game with the Bombers.
But the Islanders general staff had its reasons and, in this case, sentimentality was to be honored like a three-dollar bill. Torrey was not fooling around.
"It was time for me to look ahead," said Bow Tie Bill, "and see what the younger players could do."
Tom Fitzgerald, Derek Laxdal and Rob DiMaio were the hopefuls who would possibly be parts of the new breed along with sixth-overall 1990 Draft pick Scott Scissons.
Of the quartet Fitzgerald and DiMaio would prove useful grit skaters while Scissons' career didn't pan out as hoped. (Salt in the wound was that Jaromir Jagr was plucked by Pittsburgh one player ahead of Scissons.)

If that wasn't enough to dismay a bloc of fans, Torrey added to their angst by buying out the last two years of Trottier's contract.
Long Island-based journalist Alan Hahn in his book, Birth of a Dynasty, called Trots, "Arguably the best player to ever wear an Islanders uniform."
Hahn didn't get an argument from Arbour. who revered his pivot, but also knew that Bryan had outlived his usefulness in Uniondale.
Arbour: "Trots was the ultimate power player. He could beat you in so many ways. He was so strong that he could run you over and could destroy teams from a lot of angles -- playmaking, hitting. You name it!"
But Torrey had many considerations including financial as it became apparent that owner John Pickett was actively looking to sell the franchise. Meanwhile, Penguins GM Craig Patrick needed only two weeks to ink Trots to a Pitt deal.
Bow Tie Bill had to keep the aspirin container handy during training camp prior to the 1990-91 campaign only this time another icon, LaFontaine was causing headaches.
Patty -- angry with Pickett's stiff fiscal limits -- exited the team for four days. That had the effect of an exploding grenade in the Coliseum parking lot. But that was small potatoes compared to the club's opening month record.
Devils: Isles lose, 8-1; Canadiens, Isles lose, 8-2; Penguins, Isles lose, 8-3; Kings: Isles lose 4-1.
There was enough blame to go around but you had to start in goal. With Glenn Healy hurting, Jeff Hackett out with a serious groin injury and Mark Fitzpatrick stricken with a rare blood disorder, Arbour was down to his fifth goalie.
Inexperienced puck-stopper George Maneluk certainly wasn't the answer to Radar's prayers but he wasn't the problem either. The team finished the season the way it had begun, disappointing.

Even the fact that LaFontaine led the club's scoring with 85 points proved a plus-minus since it was becoming apparent in many NHL quarters that it would be only a matter of time before Patty became Torrey's trade bait.
But Bow Tie Bill wasn't sitting on his hands awaiting pot-of-gold offers for LaFontaine. On November 13, 1990, the phone rang at his Uniondale office and Torrey liked what he heard.
A day later, center Ray Ferraro checked in from Hartford and exchanged his Whalers jersey for one that had a map on its front. Torrey gleefully sent defenseman Doug Crossman to the hills of Connecticut.
Small but exceptionally crafty and glib, Ferraro emerged as a fan and media favorite although his full arsenal was not evident until later. For now, Ferraro and his new buddies had to figure out how to win.
A healthy Healy and his backup Hackett were up to the challenge but their defense, at times, seemed to be at war with the goalies. Wayne McBean didn't turn out to be the next Stefan Persson, nor did Jeff Norton.
Not that the D-men deserved a "D" rating. Rich Pilon surprised even the medics with a solid comeback from an eye injury and Joe Reekie, one of the team comedians, proved a no-kidding-around chap on the blue line.
Unfortunately, injuries in the homestretch to primary players -- Patrick Flatley, broken finger; Rich Pilon, sprained knee -- aborted the take-off and the club finished the season (25-45-10) without a happy face.
"It's been hard," ever-hustling Brent Sutter allowed. "It's probably the hardest thing I had to experience. It doesn't make the game a lot of fun."
Nor was it a bundle of laughs for the high command. With his owner still looking to sell the team and both ace center, LaFontaine and Sutter, publicly airing their woes, Torrey looked in the mirror and blamed himself.
Torrey: "I assume responsibility for the product. Don't hit all these players who are trying their best -- their talent hasn't surfaced yet. This team obviously has to be recycled. And it will be."
Dare Bow Tie Bill start the recycling with deals for Pat LaFontaine and Brent Sutter?
Stay tuned!