Maven's Memories: The 1993-94 Season

Optimism reigned supreme as the Islanders trooped into training camp in September 1993.
The sweet aroma of victory enthralled everyone from the high command to the lowest name on the Nassau roster.
Like coach Al Arbour, his players believed that the huge upset win over the then defending champion Penguins in the spring of '93 was a portent of even better things to come in 1993-94.

"Even though we got knocked off by the Canadiens in the third round " said Ray Ferraro, "we felt that, with a break here or there, that we could have gone to the Finals instead of Montreal."
The Isles good luck continued through the June 1993 Entry Draft. Although the franchise had a the 23d pick in the first round it was able to land a large, promising power forward from Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League.
Todd Bertuzzi weighed in at 6-3, 240 pounds and looked as if he could make the big club in a year or so. Ditto for second-round find, defenseman Bryan McCabe.
MAVEN'S MEMORIES
WRITTEN COVERAGE
Bill Torrey's Origin Story
The Heals and Flats Show
1993 Run Ends in Montreal
Unusual Draft of 1979
Isles Upset Pens in 1993
Prelude to Penguins Upset
Isles Beat Caps in 1993
1992-93 A Season to Remember
Maven's Haven
Many scouts -- not to mention McCabe -- had expected Bryan to be plucked in the opening round. The Islanders considered themselves fortunate to have scored on this one as well, nabbing McCabe 40th overall in the second round.
But Arbour was looking to the present and not down the line and he had good reason to be concerned; especially since his good friend and confidante Bill Torrey no longer was running the show.
In what only can be described as a colossally ill-advised decision, ownership pushed Bow Tie Bill to the sidelines and installed ex-Ranger Don Maloney into the general manager's chair. Torrey wound up running the expansion Florida Panthers.
This was a devastating move for the coaching staff in terms of the close-as-pages-in-a-book relationship between Torrey and Arbour. Bill's son, Rich, who was on staff, remembered how it affected his father and Al.
Rich Torrey: "Those two (Al and Bill) had the most remarkable working relationship I've ever seen. They were as close to being brothers as you could possibly get.
"There were times when Al would need to be settled down and my dad could do it. My dad would joke with him; just pester him and kind of diffuse it. They were an awesome duo."
After Torrey moved South, becoming keeper of the Cats, Florida soon became a team on the rise.
The departure of his buddy, Bill, convinced Arbour that he would not be coaching the same team that had made such beautiful music in previous years.
Arguably the most destructive move was Maloney's decision to give up on goalie Glenn Healy who had starred under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Bill Smith, now the goalie coach.
Maloney exposed Healy in the Expansion Draft and -- after a series of paper moves -- Heals moved from Anaheim and Tampa Bay to the Rangers of all teams. Glenn thus became back-up to Mike Richter of the Blueshirts!
The gag in press rooms around the NHL went something like this: "The Rangers finally found a goalie who could win at Nassau Coliseum!"
But that was only Exhibit A among Maloney's blunders. Exhibit B was Don's decision to cut another spring '93 playoff hero, Tom Fitzgerald. As a team leader and a superb penalty-killer, Fitz was loved on the Island as much as Healy.
"It was Fitzgerald who turned the Pittsburgh series in the Islanders favor," said Ira Gitler, co-author of Hockey-- The Story of the World's Fastest Sport. "On one penalty-kill he scored two shorthanded goals.
"From that point on, the Isles won the game, gained confidence and were able to take Pittsburgh to a seventh game and win the series."
Fitzgerald's "reward" was being left unprotected in favor of ice cop Mick Vukota, who lacked Tom's talent and leadership qualities. Fitz was eagerly grabbed by Torrey in the Expansion Draft.

To replace Healy, Maloney cut a deal for Quebec Nordiques goalie Ron Hextall, whose skills had rapidly diminished since he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1987.
Momentarily, at least, Hextall endeared himself to Islanders fans during an exhibition game against the Rangers. After one of the Blueshirts fired the puck past him, Ron seized the rubber and fired it, hard, at the Rangers' head.
Hextall had a tough act to follow now that Healy was with the Rangers and, unfortunately, Ron was not up to the task. Bottom Line: The Islanders needed Healy more than the Rangers did. Hextall -- simply put -- was undependable.
Compounding the misery along Hempstead Turnpike was the fact that the Mike Keenan-coached Rangers had mightily ascended in the standings. By Thanksgiving weekend, 1993, they sported a 16-5-2 record.
By contrast, the Isles reminded Long Island Rail Road commuters of a Flatwheel Local. The Arbourmen foundered with a 7-12-2 mark when the Rangers invaded The Big Barn.
To the astonishment of practically everybody, a Steve Thomas hat trick powered the Isles to a 6-4 win over the Blueshirts.
"If we play every team in the league like we play against them," moaned Thomas, "you'd be looking at a first-place hockey club."
Ironically, it was the hated Seventh Avenue skaters who would provide a tonic for the Nassaumen who were desperately seeking a playoff berth. On February 2, 1994, it was the Islanders turn to visit The World's Most Famous Arena.
The Manhattanites had the game in the bag, nursing a 4-3 lead with only 62 seconds left on the clock. But Ray Ferraro beat Mike Richter at 18:58 and Arbour exited grinning with the 4-4 tie.
The tie catapulted the Islanders back into the playoff race and into the Rangers heads as well. Even so seasoned a veteran as Mark Messier got un-nerved by Isles raucous defenseman Darius Kasparaitis.
Zach Weinstock: "In one game between the two teams Kaspar chased Messier all around the rink and even flipped him over on his head yet again. As a result, Mess took three minor penalties against him. The Isles cashed in on two."
In the Super-Ironic Department was the unlikely Coliseum scene of a Ranger getting a standing ovation from Islanders fans. The pleasant -- although somewhat surprised Blueshirt -- was Glenn Healy!
Still, as the Islanders sped toward the Finish Line, Torrey's Panthers not only were keeping pace but appeared capable of actually beating out the New Yorkers.
The ultimate decision would be made in the final week of the season and, specifically, with the Islanders visiting Tampa Bay for a game against the Lightning.
All things considered it was totally remarkable that the hosts lost the game. From beginning to the very end, the Lightning dominated the match, but could not score on Hextall who had found his old form.
"I've never seen an Islanders team so flat," said a SportsChannel reporter who had been dispatched to Florida to cover the crucial match. "But two guys saved them."
One was goalie Hextall who played his best game of the season in the most important one. Ron simply "stole" the game, blanking the Bolts.
But somebody had to score for New York and that's where Steve Thomas took over. He put his club ahead in the first period with a blast from the right face-off circle and clinched the playoff berth from the same location in the third frame.

The clincher so overwhelmed a Tampa Bay-based Islanders fan that he camped outside the Visitors' dressing room long after the game.
Still emotional, the transplanted Long Islander rushed up to Al Arbour when the coach finally exited the dressing room and exclaimed: "Best game you ever coached!"
Radar graciously thanked him and let out a long exhale that put a coda on his team's accomplishment.
The Islanders were "in" alright but now there was a playoff ahead and, as bad-luck would have it, they would face the first-place Rangers, coached by Mike Keenan.
Despite the Blueshirts coming in as heavy favorites, the Islanders still believed they could find a silver lining in the dark clouds ahead. That was Hextall's goaltending in the playoff-clincher at Tampa Bay.
"If Hexy plays like that," said Thomas, "we can beat them."
Head to head -- even with a sub-standard lineup -- the Isles had arithmetic on their side. At one point against the Blueshirts they had run off a streak of 12-0-3 in 15 straight regular season home games vs. the Rangers.
"I don't think there's a more challenging opponent we could face in the first round," shared Mike Richter, the main man in net for the Broadway sextet.
Mike must have been thinking about the Isles' eight-game unbeaten streak in April; or, perhaps, that over the past 25 games Radar's Redoubtables had a 14-7-4 advantage over the Blueshirts.
The series began on April 17th, 1994 at The Garden and in less than four minutes, the Rangers were up 2-0.
When Mark Messier beat Hextall on a softy in the second, the few Islanders in the crowd wished Healy had never been dismissed by Maloney a half-year earlier.
"Yes," said Hexy of the Messier shot, "it was a terrible goal."
Mercifully, the game ended 6-0 for the Keenan's vengeful outfit. If there would be retribution for the Nassaumen, it would available the next night, also at MSG. The difference, Arbour started backup goalie, Jamie McLennan.
But the result was the same; 6-0, Rangers. Now it was April 21 and the venue was Nassau Coliseum. Hextall was back in goal and the script was unchanged. Less than four minutes into the game it was 2-0, Rangers.
The final score, 5-1, for the Visitors, left Arbour with few options so he started Hextall again and the sweep was complete, 5-2, over and out! Finding solace in defeat was about as easy as pushing the Atlantic Ocean all the way back to England.
Normally, Radar, who normally would have convened the media at "Clear-Out Day," ditched the ritual. Or, as one reporter observed: "Al figured that if he had nothing to say, say nothing at all." But Don Maloney did talk:
"I honestly do not believe the gap between the Rangers and ourselves is as severe as the series showed," Maloney averred. "But, on the other hand, you have to bow to them. They humbled us; from bad to worse to disaster."
Arbour's disappearance was symbolic if nothing else. In the days ahead he would retire as coach and become Vice President of Hockey Operations.
With Radar's "promotion," completed, Maloney began his search for a new bench boss -- as well as new faces to erase memories of the ignominious playoff defeat.
The Maloney Era on Long Island was rapidly takin shape.
But would it be for better or worse?
Only time would tell!