After falling behind 0-3, the Islanders are attempting to return to UBS Arena with a chance to even the series.
They say history repeats itself -- and for the sake of the New York Islanders, they would welcome a 1975 redux to help launch a comeback versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
In the first round on these NHL Playoffs, the Isles fell behind 0-3 after dropping all of the first three games. They rallied at home to win Game Four in double OT on Saturday, sending the series back to Carolina for Game 5.
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Back in 1975, the Islanders were down three-games-to-none to the Pittsburgh Penguins, before coming back to win in seven games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were the first team to pull off a comeback of this magnitude. It came against the Detroit Red Wings way back in 1942.
Amazingly, future Hall of Fame goalie Billy Smith lost the first three games in net for the Islanders. To shake things up, coach Al Arbour went to Chico Resch, and the rest is history.
Chico allowed only 4 of 98 shots in games four, five and six collectively. Then he pitched a shutout in the biggest game in Islanders history to that date. Resch was spectacular making 30 saves, and Ed Westfall scored with a bit over five minutes left to play to give New York the series clincher, 1-0.
The Hockey News caught up with Resch as the Islanders prepare for a pivotal Game 5 in Carolina Tuesday:
-What was the single most important characteristic that the 1975 team had to allow for that team to come back?
We, like the current Isles could play defense.
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-Now that the Islanders got the first win of the series, do you think that they have the goods to comeback?
The Pens, like the Hurricanes are a little better than the Isles. But they are not so dynamic and better like some other teams in the league. We knew we needed to play really well defensively and gets a bunch of timely breaks. Which we did.
Al Arbour (experienced like Roy) basically made us believe -- it wasn't why could we come back, but more, why not. The pressure is now really on Carolina.
They have everything to lose, while the Islanders do not. That is until Game 7.
Also, it's only like the Isles have to win 3 games in a row... not 30.
I felt the turning point in the Pens series was winning Game 5 on the road. That's when we really started to believe--and they started to doubt.
-What was your single greatest memory about that comeback against the Penguins in 1975 -- besides personally finishing the series with all four wins and no losses?
The highlight for me was game 6 at home in front of our fans. It was at the end of that game that I could feel the momentum had really switched.
Then it was a one-game series where we knew we had as much as a chance to win as them.
Not that there wasn't pressure on us, but we had gotten so many bounces and had found a way to win the previous 3 games -- we felt as long as the breaks didn't start going against us, we had the edge!!
All that said, Game 5 is the KEY!!!