The New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are a professional hockey team located in Uniondale, NY. They are the members of the National Hockey League. They first started to play in the year of 1972 and very quickly became one of the leading teams. During the first years of their existence they won four Stanley Cups thus becoming real champions. But in the early eighties the Islanders have had to face a thorny road ahead as for several times they had to miss the NHL playoffs .

The Islanders played their first season in October, 1972, though their first game was not that fortunate: they lost to the Atlanta Flames, a visiting team. During the first several seasons they had to confess that the luck was not on their side. Their fans got disappointed. They won only 12 times and had to put up with 60 losses. And that was a real disaster as their irreconcilable rivals, the New York Rangers , were 72 points ahead. This way, the 1973-1974 season became a useful lesson for the members of the team.

The next season (1974-1975) was the first in a row that brought them fame and glory, as they were leaded by a number of prominent coaches such as Denis Potvin, Clark Gilles and Billy Smith. The result was unexpected: the team beat the rivals 33 times. In their first game they had to face the game with the New York Rangers again, who were the main favorites among the fans all over the world. But the Islanders were not going to give up and beat the Rangers, as it turned out later, three times in a row.

Another favorite, the Pittsburg Penguins were the next on their way. The first several games had nothing in particular, but it all changed when Eddie Westfall scored the last goal which was the winning one.

A new stage in the team history began. The Islanders were continuously building their young team by inviting new talented players like Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy who joined the team in 1975. The Islanders soon became an NHL force to settle with. The hard and intensive work of the team finally produced a great effect when in the playoffs the Islanders reached at last the Stanley Cup finals in the early 1980s.

The consecutive years were full of ups and downs but in one way or another the New York Islanders were trying to do their best showing their faithful fans that they are still worth of respect, support and approval, and are ready to fight with any rival on their way. Among the head coaches of the New York Islanders were such prominent figures as Earl Ingarfeld, Butch Goring, Lorne Henning, Lorne Henning and Ted Nolan.

The role of the team coaches is always great, but one shouldnt forget the the main figures in the game are still players. The player number one is Rick DiPietro who participated in all 81 games. He made his debut in 2001 when he was only 19 years old though we shouldnt forget other masters such as Raffi Torres, Arto Tukio Kristoffer Ottosson and many others who made great contribution to the shining history of the team.

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