Islanders' four Stanley Cup clinchers to air Sunday on MSG
Islanders captain Denis Potvin hoists the Stanley Cup at Nassau Coliseum after the Islanders beat the Minnesota North Stars 5-1 to win their second title on May 22, 1981. Credit: NEWSDAY -SAVE/Newsday / Ozier Muhammad
The remainder of the NHL’s regular season and playoffs may be in question because of the COVID-19 outbreak. But the Islanders are going to win four Stanley Cups on Sunday.
MSG Network has been re-airing classic Islanders games on weeknights with this season on pause since March 12 and no determination on when or if play can resume.
Now, on Sunday, it will air consecutively all four of the team’s Stanley Cup-winning games from 1980-83, starting at 2 p.m.
The Islanders are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their first Cup win. MSG will show Game 6 of the Cup Ffinal against the Philadelphia Flyers at 2 p.m., as Bobby Nystrom’s overtime goal lifted the Islanders to a 5-4 win on May 24, 1980.
At 4 p.m., the deciding Game 5 of the Cup Final against the Minnesota North Stars from May 21, 1981, will be shown as two goals from Butch Goring led the Islanders to a 5-1 win.
The Islanders swept the Vancouver Canucks in four games in 1982 and MSG will show Game 4 from May 16, 1982, at 6 p.m. as Mike Bossy scored twice in a 3-1 win.
The Islanders also swept the Edmonton Oilers the following season. At 8 p.m., the Islanders' 4-2 Game 4 win on May 17, 1983, will be re-broadcast.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
