Customer Reviews

NHL: New York Islanders 10 Greatest Games

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As someone who grew up in New York and has watched the Islanders from almost their first game in 1972, I thought this was a good but not great set with a fair selection of games. Of course disputes are inevitable in any "10 greatest" list, but my objections are:

The Islanders first big playoff push was in 1975, and there should have been at least one game from that year. The preferred games would be game 3 vs. the Rangers or game 7 vs. Pittsburgh. As I have never seen anything but short clips from these game since I saw them (or heard them on the radio) live when they were played, I don't know that they still exist in complete form. They probably don't. I'm pretty sure nothing remains from the Rangers series but a 15 second clip of JP Parise's game 3 OT goal. If they don't, some game from the Philadelphia series should be included. I have seen full game videos from this series and the absence of a 1975 playoff game is the most serious flaw in this set.

The second missing essential game is the winning streak record breaker vs. the Colorado Rockies. I was at that game in person and not only was it historic, it was a thrilling match with a wild finish. It's a crime this game wasn't included. Their winning streak record has since been broken, but when the Islander won their 15th straight, the record they erased went back to 1929 & it was a big deal.

For the more recent selections, I think it was right to include one game from the '02 series vs. Toronto, because that was one of the best, most intense early round playoff series I've ever seen. But they picked the wrong game. Game 6 was the best single playoff game the Islanders have had since their Stanley Cup years. This was the game after Michael Peca was injured on Darcy Tucker's cheap shot & the Isles were out for revenge & got it, at least temporarily. There were no penalty shots, but penalty shots are very overrated to this hockey fan, especially in comparison to a nasty 60 minute contest between two teams that hated each other.

In order to get these three games in, I'd drop the Al Arbour game & the Volek OT game & exchange game 6 in the Toronto series for game 4. The Al Arbour game was fun, but compared to games in the past when this team was winning cups, it falls short. I got the idea they included it because they wanted something recent for a team that has had little success in 20 years. Dropping the Volek game is a hard choice, but it was really a dead end for the Islanders while a '75 playoff game and the game vs. Colorado were of historic significance. There's one last game I'd like to see that goes way back in NYI history. In their first year, 1972-73, they played a wild game vs. the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins which they won I believe 9-7. This game was a fantastic result because the Islander won only 12 games that year and that one of them was vs. the great Bobby Orr Bruins, and that it was a 9-7 game made it one of the most unlikely occurrences in NHL history. I've seen some video of this game & if the entire game exists in video form, that it wasn't included in this set shows the lack of perspective suffered by those who put the set together. I'd like to give this set 3 1/2 stars coz it's better than 3 but not as good as 4, but I'll be generous. If it included at least one 1975 playoff game, I would give it five stars, but completely missing that truly important year is a bad flaw for a set like this.

The ten games that will be on this set are:

1-1980 Cup Final, Game 6. (CBC)
2-1981 Cup Final, Game 5. (CBC)
3-Game 5 of 1982 Division Semi Finals vs Pittsburgh (WOR)
4-1982 Cup Final, Game 4. (CBC)
5-1983 Cup Final, Game 4. (CBC)
6-Morrow's OT goal beats Rangers, 1984 Div. Semi Finals, Game 5. (CBC)
7-The Easter Epic vs Washington, 1987 (CBC)
8-Volek's OT goal in Game 7 beats Pittsburgh, 1993 (CBC)
9-Bates penalty shot game vs Toronto, 4/24/2002 (ESPN2)
10-Al Arbour's 1500th win. (MSG)

There are some problems. With just three exceptions all the games use the (Hockey Night In Canada Feed (CBC). You only get to hear Islanders' announcers Jiggs McDonald and Eddie Westfall in one game. (1982 Game 5 vs Pittsburgh) and the picture quality on that game is terrible.
Picture quality on most of the game is just fair to good. Even the Bates game fromm 2002 is sub par.
I actually have better copies of some of these games on VHS tape so I wonder why the quality could not have been upgraded on the DVDs.

The video on this production is pretty good considering that most of the source material is 25 or so years old. The only criticism is that the feed used for most of the games is NOT the Islanders TV feed. I have my own copies of several of these games with announcing by the Islanders TV crew, including their post-game programming (1983 Islanders Game 4 vs. Oilers and the 1984 Isles vs. Rangers Game 5 among others). If I could have these, surely the producers of this set could have obtained them. Listening to CBC announcers or ESPN announcers is definitely not the same. That aside, it is an enjoyable group of games. Only the Isles vs. Maple Leafs 2002 game is questionable in its inclusion. Enjoy the days of hockey with no on ice, or on the boards advertising and some helmetless players!

I have been a die hard Islanders fan since 1972. In fact, the Isles were the reason I started playing hockey at a time when no one else in my family knew what hockey was. The Isles have brought me great joy and pain since I was 6 years old, and this is a great way to re-live the great times.

I have had many of these games on VHS, but as we all know tape degrades. I can finally have a permanent record of these great moments. I agree with everyone who remarked about the video quality, but please remember that many of these games are pretty old. Just keep in mind that if it was the 10 best Rangers games, most would be radio only!

I'll treasure this collection, both on the DVDs and on my phone (ripped and converted for my Treo).

Bravo!!!

I purchased this for my Islander fan husband and he loved it!
This was well worth the price and since these are past games, you can give it as a gift for any occasion.

Reason I say this, is at the time when the Islanders were in the midst of their dynasty, I really was too young to appreciate just what kind of character, makeup and class this team truly had. Now that I am in my late 40's and was able to reminisce on some of these games that I saw growing up, I can not only truly appreciate just what kind of team that Bill Torrey and Al Arbour built during this time period, but also, how they handled success in such a classy manner.

For my personal opinion, the two top games that stand out for me are 1) Game 5 between the Islanders & Pens in 1982, where the Isles came SOOOOO close to getting their dynasty derailed. Late in the third period, you honestly feel that there is no way that they will win this thing (suspension of reality), and yet, you are awed at how someone such as John Tonelli continuously comes up big in the clutch. The second game I highly recommend is the Game 5 encounter between the Rangers and Isles in the 84 playoffs. And even though the Isles failed to win a 5th cup that year, this game to me is honestly what hockey is all about from a number of viewpoints. It is fast, hard hitting, nail biting up and down action, no cheap shots, but best of all, CBC does the game, and there is truly something special about hearing Dick Irvin call a game. Don Cherry also provides color commentary, and a again, this is at a time when having Don in the booth was an absolute joy to listen to as he provides so much insight and analysis that means so much during the game. I can honestly say that since purchasing this DVD, I must have watched this game over and over about 5 times now, and never get bored of it. And again, it is all a matter of choice and preference, but to me, taken at all angles (TV coverage, rivalry, players involved, coaches involved, storyline (4 time cup winners vs. the "Broadway Blues" who havent won a cup since '40), this is the perfect game.

Other games in the set, I find a bit boring (at times) such as the one versus Vancouver and Minnesota as cup clinchers, but again, if you're a hockey afficianado such as myself, you look beyond just the score and appreciate the technically fundamental soundness of each of the players on that squad . .How Goring busts his hump on every shift, how the Sutter brothers always give 100%, how Tonelli is such a battler in the corners and never seems to be denied the puck when he has to battle for one against an opponent (J. To, you are the MAN!), and finally, just how talented Bryan Trottier truly is. After watching this, I can honestly agree with Mike Bossy when he said the "controversial comment" of how "Trotier was more talented than Gretzky." . If you look at an all around game and see just how Trottier plays both ends of the rink, most knowledgable hockey fans would come to the same conclusion.

My recommendation is to buy this DVD if you truly appreciate the beauty of a team that can play all facets of the game, and knows how to do it in a class manner. Again, at no time did I ever consider myself an Islanders fan growing up, so this review is not from some hometown "Homer" whose team can do no wrong. It is simply and assessment from someone who bought the video and can appreciate one of the greatest dynasties in not only hockey, but in sports history, to have ever come along.

The first few games are very poor quality film. It would have been nicer to have more "glitz" regarding the pre game and after game. The quality of film gets better eventually, but not until 2000
Watching the Islanders is like traveling to the past and watching the greatest team to ever hit the ice. The Al Albour night game is fabulous and worth the price of the DVD.

Great Hockey for good price. Video-quality is partly very poor, but highly
enjoyable stuff anyway. Lot of physical Hockey here... Bobby Nystrom is worth the price all alone!!!

Didn't like the first game had one of Nystrom's goals missing. The game against the Penquins during the Randy Carlyle days was hazy looking. But the bright side makes me want to see the entire Stanly Cup finals that the Islanders played.

Growing up during the dynasty, this set brought back some great memories. I too wish that there were more versions with the Islander announcers as well. It's also the same thing when they've shown a lot of the old games on their website. I don't know why that is.

I was also surprised the '80 cup winner game didn't have Nystrom's goal at the end of the second period. I've seen that on their web.

I guess I am getting a little picky but I still love it. With this team, they could have easily made a 20-DVD set. Maybe they will come out with a part two and include games like Parise OT in '75, Bossy's 50 in 50, Tonelli's winner against Colorado during the win streak, Game 1 vs Edmonton in '83, Bossy in mid-air in '82, Bourne's end-to-end game, a couple of the Capital games from '93, another Penguin game from '93 and game 6 against Toronto in '02