Maven's Memories: Highlights of the Mid-to-Late 90s

For Islanders fans the decade of the 1990's had all the excitement of riding Coney Island's Cyclone roller coaster.
Ups -- like the playoff demolishing of defending champion Pittsburgh in 1993 -- was about as high as any fan experience. A year later, there was the inevitable letdown which saw the Islanders swept by the Rangers. It was also an active time for general manager Mike Milbury in his attempts to craft a winner.
The following chronology of events underline my point. And if you will be so kind as to permit the ad libs, I'll offer some personal commentary. Here goes:

THE BENNY BLITZ, JANUARY 24, 1995
Compact, speedy and as savvy as they came, Benoit Hogue was an instant fan favorite for all the right reasons. A couple of those reasons were evident in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Benny The Dip was awarded a penalty shot and became the first Islander to score more than one.
Maven's Memory. It was impossible not to adore Monsieur Hogue. He always had a smile on his face, if not a winsome grin. On his night of his second penalty shot strike - in a 4-3 Isles win - the smile and grin were blended together.
THE FABULOUS FERRARO, FEBRUARY 2, 1995
Ever since The Remarkable Raymond orchestrated David Volek's 1993 OT playoff clincher against the Penguins, he was renowned as The Little Guy Who Came Up Big. He did it again against the Flyers in Philadelphia with a four-point night, including the overtime game-winner.
Maven's Memory: Redoubtable Ray was an interviewer's dream-come-true. A natural gabber, Ferraro invariably came up with insights that were articulated with candor and without editing. The two of us had our differences but they were resolved as fast as they emerged.
THE SHOCKER TRADE: APRIL 5, 1995
Pierre Turgeon and Vladimir Malakhov are dealt to Montreal in exchange for center Kirk Muller and defenseman Mathieu Schneider.
Maven's Memory: Our Islanders tv crew arrived early in the afternoon that day for our game with the Rangers. No, question we were excited about greeting the new faces,
Muller was renowned for his hustle and occasional muscle as well as leadership skills. The New York City-born Schneider played a tough, savvy defense. In a sense this was a homecoming for Matty.
It now was 5 p.m. as I waited outside MSG's Visitors' dressing room for the new arrivals. Suddenly, Isles PR rep Ginger Killian showed up with Schneider. An old pal of mine, Matty gave me a big hello and proceeded to the clubhouse.
"Where's Muller?" I asked Ginger, sensing that he wasn't auditioning for "The Invisible Man." Ginger didn't have an answer and that was answer enough for me.
In due time, Muller would show up but not for the crucial Rangers game. Schneider played hard and well for us. Eventually, a recalcitrant Muller arrived with subdued enthusiasm.
MIKE'S COMEBACK KIDS: OCTOBER 7, 1995
It's opening night, celebrated with Milbury's first game behind the bench as head coach. Trailing 3-1 in Boston, the Isles rally for a 4-4 tie.
Maven's Memory: Whether leader of the general staff or running the room and behind the bench, Mike generated excitement and this was no exception. Converting a losing cause into a valuable one-pointer against the Big, Bad Bruins was considered a good deal in those days.
THE DAUNTLESS DARIUS STRIKES AGAIN: NOVEMBER 11, 1995
Ebullient defenseman Darius Kasparaitis takes out Wayne Gretzky and scores on the same shift against Los Angeles. It's Kasper's first goal of the season.
Maven's Memory: In my more than a half-century on the NHL beat, I never witnessed a more electrifying defender than Kasper kayo-ing everyone and anyone who dared to invade his turf. And that included The Great One. In addition to his synchronized hip checks, Darius tallied his first goal of the season.
THE MATTY AND ZIGGY SHOW: MARCH 3, 1996
It still was frigid in Winnipeg but the Islanders were hot. It was tough distinguishing which feat was more remarkable. On the one hand, Matty Schneider scored a goal from the hinterlands of center ice. Meanwhile, Ziggy Palffy delivered a three-goal hat trick in a five-goal first period against the jittery Jets.
Maven's Memory: Matty and Ziggy were tied in first-place for the team's "Big Grin Derby." Of all the Isles I interviewed in those halcyon days, Schneider and Palffy were two of the guys I wanted as guests over and over again. Plus, Darius!
ZIGGY STARDUST: NOVEMBER, 1996
Spread over a period of six games in the autumn of 1996, the leaves fell around the Coliseum while Zigmund Palffy's pucks dropped into enemy nets. Over those half-dozen matches, The Dipsy-Doodle Dandy from Scalica, Slovakia, amassed 11 points including three straight two-goal games.
Maven's Memory: For me, Ziggy was as much fun to deal with as he was fascinating to watch, either shooting, passing or answering questions post-game. In many ways, his skill set was reminiscent of Mike Bossy's. One difference being that Zig never had the starry cast surrounding him as Mike enjoyed during the Dynasty Days.
TOMMY SALO PHOTO OP: DECEMBER 7, 1996
Maven's Memory: Salo, a native of Surahammar, Sweden gave Isles fans three commendable years in goal. He was a pleasant, approachable fellow always willing to discuss his art. One of my most pleasant moments was the after-chat following a spectacular effort on Dec. 7. The Isles won 2-0 over Washington. By far the highlight play was his stop on a Kelly Miller breakaway. It was Tommy's first career shutout and, appropriately it coincided with Clark Gillies' jersey going up to the rafters.
A HAPPY HOME OPENER: OCTOBER 4, 1997
Maven's Memory: There's no question but that the theme at the start of every season is the cheery homily, "Hope springs eternal in the human breast." And so it was as the 1997-98 season opened with a 3-0 blanking of the Maple Leafs.
NASTY, NASTY -- RANGERS-ISLES MAKE NOT-NICE. APRIL 4, 1998
Maven's Memory: By the close of the 1997-98 season, the New York-Long Island rivalry was a quarter-century old. The events that took place in the Coliseum during the final meeting of the campaign go down in my memory bank as one of the most bitter, ever, although the volcano that erupted in The Old Barn came out of nowhere.
MAVEN'S MEMORIES
WRITTEN COVERAGE
Jim Devellano, The Other Architect
The 2003-04 Season
Mike Bossy's Road to the Islanders
The 2002-03 Homestretch
John Tonelli Five-Goal Game
Isles vs Leafs in 2002
The Amazing 2001-02 Season
Explosive Trades Launch 01-02
Denis Potvin's Breakout vs Rangers
Maven's Haven
The home club was leading 3-0 at 12:17 of the third period. Mike Milbury was behind the bench, having canned Rick Bowness. He called a time-out because he wanted to protect the "Dreaded Three-Goal Lead." Rangers coach John Muckler thought otherwise. "He was trying to embarrass our hockey club," Muckler charged.
After the next shift, it's possible that even The Richter Scale reacted with concern. In any event, the chain reaction of bouts stunned even press box veterans; not to mention Yours Truly.
Round One: P.J. Stock vs. Zdeno Chara.
Round Two: Stock and Darren Langdon vs. Chara.
Round Three: Trevor Linden vs. Bll Berg.
Round Four: J.J. Daigneault vs. Jeff Beukeboom.
Round Five: Marius Czerkawski vs. Stock
Round Six: Tommy Salo vs. Stock.
Round Seven: Salo vs. Dan Cloutier.
High up in the tv both, Fox play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert delivered the understatement of the half-century: "Things are getting out of control here on Long Island!"
The overwhelmed referee Denis LaRue gave out 154 penalty minutes and seven ejections at once. However, the ejections merely enflamed a blame game.
From the Rangers camp, a tidal wave of charges were picked up by the media, mostly that Milbury ignited the riotous behavior. "I didn't mean to rub salt in the wounds," Mike countered.
"If I knew that it would have resulted in all that Rangers over-reaction, I would not have called a time-out. I wasn't looking for the massive brawl. I never expected they'd make such a fuss over a time-out."
Neither did I, and on the drive home I discussed the outburst with my pal, Bob Stampleman, who published Action Sports Hockey Magazine.
"How do you explain what happened?" Stampleman asked me.
"Very simple," I shot back. "With those two teams, a rivalry is a RIVALRY!"