This Day in Isles History: April 19

April 19, 1987:Pat LaFontaine scores at 8:47 of quadruple overtime, as the Islanders beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 in Game Seven of the Patrick Division semifinals. The game ends in the early hours of Sunday the 19th and is remembered as the "Easter Epic." Kelly Hrudey stops an Islanders record 73 shots in the win.
It is the longest game in Islanders history and the 11th-longest playoff game in NHL history.
From Stan Fischler's three-part series on the Easter Epic.
It was early Easter Sunday when the Islanders and Capitals took the ice for the fourth overtime on April 18-19,1987 in Landover, Maryland.
Most of the capacity crowd at Capital Centre had become exhausted by this marathon seventh game of the series. Some fans couldn't handle the fatigue and just fell asleep in their seats.
There was, however, no rest for the weary players. Awaiting the call for sudden-death period #4, the Islanders sought whatever encouragement they could get from the staff. One of them, equipment guy, Jim Pickard had an idea.

Looking around the room, he sought a good suspect for the winning goal so he approached Pat LaFontaine. Pickard carried a water bottle just in case it might be a refresher for the Isles center.
"You're gonna get the goal," Jim said to Patty, "You're gonna pop one in!" As a coda to his comment, Pickard squeezed hard on the water bottle.
The H2O tonic coursed down LaFontaine's neck at almost two in the morning. At that moment, the Capital Centre's public address operator played the theme song of "The Twilight Zone." Pat remembered it well.
LaFontaine: "I said to myself, 'Is this really happening?'"
Continue to read Stan Fischler's three-part series on the Easter Epic.
Watch: Youtube Video