Didja know that there's an eerie parallel between this run for The Stanley and the New York Islanders "Try For Two" a good 42 years ago. Back then, the Isles were playing a relatively weak Minnesota North Stars team that got white-heat-hot at playoff time.
Guess what?
Tonight's Game Two in Vegas is just as important and the first one.
Oh, you knew that already.
But didja know that there's an eerie parallel between this run for The Stanley and the New York Islanders "Try For Two" a good 42 years ago.
Back then, the Isles were playing a relatively weak Minnesota North Stars team that got white-heat-hot at playoff time.
Just like this spring's Panthers, the North Stars caused concern with their foe when the fourth round rolled around.
Having won three series, the Isles were concerned about not being "ready" for Minny.
"Everybody's coming into this series a little scared," said goalie Billy Smith. "We know we've got to get back to what we had before."
And so they did, whipping the North Stars 6-3.
And so did Vegas on Saturday night, turning the Cats into pewling Meows, 5-2.
Which brings me to the second comparison; the respective second games.
Back in that other century -- 1981, to be exact -- the Isles expected a stronger Minnesota performance in Game Two, and they got it.
"We were leading 3-2 in the third period," said Mike Bossy, "and playing well.
Next thing we knew, Steve Payne scored for them and -- all of a sudden -- we had a hockey game on our hands. That goal made us see red."
Poof! Just like that, the Isles counterattacked with a vengeance. Bossy, Denis Potvin and Ken Morrow scored and the result was the same as Game One, 6-3.
Knights coach Bruce Cassidy is prepared for a big push from Florida tonight and Bruce's other, Paul Maurice, has been quick to point out that his skaters lost its series opener to Boston in the tourney's opening round.
Paul Maurice"In the end," chuckled Maurice, "we did okay, didn't we?"
More than okay when you consider that the Cats kayoed the regular season-leading Bruins in seven.
The Islanders eventually knocked out '81 Minnesota in five games. Bossy called it the easiest of the four Final rounds that led to the Isles dynasty.
Who knows? Vegas could even make this a five-gamer; maybe even a sweep.
To do so, they'd have to follow the blueprint laid out by Al Arbour, the Hall of Fame Isles mentor. He did it with special teams.
On the power play, the Nassaumen delivered an awe-inspiring 31.3 percent against the North Stars. Minny was held to only six such goals in 33 tries, five shorthanded goals and Smitty's hermetically-sealed goaltending.
The Knights sudden goaltending hero, Adin Hill, did a reasonable facsimile of a Bill Smith in the opener. That included 33 saves and one highlight stick thrust that already is being hailed among the all-time goalie stops.
Not that Sergei Bobrovsky had an off-night for the Panthers in Game One. He played very well, in fact, it was just that Hill was better.
Similarly, Gilles Meloche was strong in goal for that challenging North Stars team but not as immense as Hill.
In the end New York's second game victory in the '81 Final catapulted them to a five-game triumph and the second Cup.
P.S. Our MSG Networks' analyst Butch Goring won the 1981 Conn Smythe Trophy.