This will be a milestone season for the New York Islanders. It's the 30th anniversary of the 1987-88 Patrick Division winning team. The organization will not display a commemorative patch on the jersey or on center ice at Barclays. Nothing is mention on the promotional schedule nor a player like Mikko Makela will not be dropping the puck in a ceremonial faceoff. Terry Simpson will not be coaching the team for one game. Simpson took over for Al Arbour and guided the Islanders to consecutive playoff appearances, only to be fired halfway through the 1988-89 season. What's so special about that team? It's the last time the Islanders won a division; the Patrick, the Atlantic, the Metropolitan, whatever you want to call it. Not only is it the longest streak in hockey but in all four major pro sports. Yes even the New York Jets have won a division, twice actually. The other Jets, from Winnipeg, did not, although the Atlanta Thrashers won the Southeast before moving to Winnipeg and the Phoenix Coyotes won after the Jets left Winnipeg.
It also was the final season of Denis Potvin's hall of famer career. The defenseman scored 19 goals and 32 assists in 72 games. It also was the beginning of the end of Bryan Trottier's elite career. It was the 11th and final 30+goal season for the hall of famer. The roster also featured the son of WWE announcer "Mean Gene" Okerlund, Todd, who played four games with the Islanders after playing in the 1988 Olympics.
The 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs also was the last time the Islanders had home ice in a series, which they lost to the New Jersey Devils. That series win for the Devils was their first in franchise history. The Devils captain and leading scorer...the one and only Kirk Muller.
Will this year's Islanders snap either streak?