To many observers, the Islanders seemed oddly vulnerable for a team that hadn't lost a playoff series since 1979. However, that opinion was not shared inside coach Al Arbour's locker room.
"Never count out a champion," said Ken Morrow, a stalwart defenseman for those Islanders teams and now their director of pro scouting. "Once you've done it, there's a confidence that comes out and you're able to raise your game to another level when you have to."
1982-83 New York Islanders roster
Raise your game, indeed. In the final month of the regular season, from March 3-April 3, the Islanders went 10-4-0 and outscored their opponents 62-36. Morrow said the strong finish was no accident.
"When we got through February, our mindset changed," Morrow said. "Al put an emphasis on making sure we were playing our best hockey going into the playoffs."
RELATED: Top 10 Greatest NHL Teams
The Islanders did not relent. They defeated the Washington Capitals in four games in the Patrick Division Semifinals, then advanced past the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, each in six games, to move into the Stanley Cup Final. Their opponent was the upstart Oilers, who could hardly have had any more momentum; Edmonton had scored 74 goals in winning 11 of its 12 playoff games.
The Oilers' youthful array of weapons -- they had five players with 96 or more points (Gretzky, 196; Mark Messier, 106; Glenn Anderson and Jari Kurri , 104; Paul Coffey, 96) -- appeared all but unstoppable heading into Game 1 at Northlands Coliseum.
But Billy Smith, the Islanders' feisty goaltender, and his imposing defense, led by Denis Potvin and Morrow, ground the greatest show on ice into something you'd see at a county fair. They were ably assisted by centers Bryan Trottier and Butch Goring, who did a yeoman's defensive job on Gretzky.
The final score of Game 1 was 2-0, with the Islanders getting an early goal from Duane Sutter and an empty-net goal by Morrow. It was the first time the Oilers had been shut out all season.