Anniversaries

Saturday October 13, 1973 -- Al Arbour's first home game as Islander coach - 6-0 loss to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Flyers (They had tied Atlanta 1-1 three nights earlier). Arbour's first win wouldn't come for another two weeks -- 3-2 over the Rangers

October 13, 1977 - Mike Bossy's first goal comes in his NHL debut, but the Isles lose 3-2 to Buffalo. The NY Times notes: "Bossy ... is regarded as a potentially high-scoring prospect". Fittingly, Trottier and Gillies assist on the goal.

Saturday October 13, 1979 -- First home game of the first Cup season - Isles lose 5-2 to Buffalo, but Norman Weidner of East Islip, later nicknamed "One Shot Norman", wins a car in Score-O the very first time its played. (He may still be around--someone named "Norman ScoreO" posts to the Islander blog on Newsday.com)

Saturday October 13 1984 -- In the first home game of the post-Cup era, Mike Bossy scores in overtime as the Islanders defeat Chicago 7-6. It extends the Isles' home dominance over the Hawks to 17-0-4 in the past 21 games. The Isles would beat the Hawks at the Coliseum only once in the next 19 years -- on Al Arbour night.


Thanks to my stats mentor - Forever1940!!!