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New York Islanders Elite Eight Torrey Division Winners

Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; General view of the elite eight logo prior to the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; General view of the elite eight logo prior to the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers celebrate as Kentucky Wildcats forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) walks off the court as they upset Kentucky 71-64 in the 2015 NCAA Men’s Division I Championship semi-final game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers celebrate as Kentucky Wildcats forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) walks off the court as they upset Kentucky 71-64 in the 2015 NCAA Men’s Division I Championship semi-final game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /

Torrey Division 2nd Round Matchup #2

(3) Billy Smith v. (2) Pierre Turgeon

Turgeon put up respectable numbers, but the established favorite dominated proceedings for a comfortable victory.

With 75% of the vote, Billy Smith takes out the French-Canadian to move into the championship game of the Torrey Division against Denis Potvin.

It not hard to see why the fans voted for Smith. His no-nonsense approach to the game both perfectly summed up the way the game was played back then and was a stark contrast to how goalies generally act.

The padded enigmas that willingly put themselves in front of a speeding frozen rubber disk generally don’t have a volatile emotional structure. Billy Smith had no qualms about letting players know not to get in his way or close to his net. Either in front or behind the net.

With that play came significant talent. Smith wasn’t just an act on skates. He backed it up with actual puck stopping abilities. He was the total package!

Turgeon was great as an Islander, but a single conference final isn’t enough to compete with the four Stanley Cups, the Conn Smythe, the Vezina, and Jennings trophies Smith won.

Next: Torrey Division First Round

The final round of the Torrey Division is set:

(1) Denis Potvin v. (3) Billy Smith

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