By Zane Miller
On Sunday, May 16th, 1982, the New York Islanders defeated the Vancouver Canucks at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver to win the 69th Stanley Cup Finals four games to none. It was the third Stanley Cup championship for the Islanders franchise, and the fifth that was won in British Columbia. These are the top five players that I felt most stood out during the series.
5. #23 Bobby Nystrom (Islanders)- F
Nystrom earned two goals over the course of the series, including an insurance goal as the Islanders won in game two.
4. #9 Clark Gillies (Islanders)- F
Gillies claimed two goals and one assist during the series, starting off the scoring for the Islanders in both game one and game three.
3. #5 Denis Potvin (Islanders)- D
Potvin got a pair of goals and seven assists in the series sweep, leading all players in the series in points.
2. #22 Mike Bossy (Islanders)- F
Bossy was game one and two’s player of the game, as game one saw him score both the game-tying and game-winning goals as the Islanders won 6-5 in overtime, followed in game two with a goal and an assist in the Islanders’ 6-4 victory.
1. #31 Billy Smith (Islanders)- G
Smith took player of the game honors in games three and four, as he made 23 saves on 23 shots to take a shutout in the Islanders’ 3-0 victory in game three, then making 23 saves on 24 shots in game four, which the Islanders won 3-1 to claim the series sweep.
Players of the Game Breakdown:
Link to stats database: hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1982-new-york-islanders-vs-vancouver-canucks-stanley-cup-final.html
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