50th Anniversary Countdown: Top 10 Islanders OT Playoff Goals (No. 6-10)

There's nothing like playoff hockey, and there's nothing more nerve-wracking or exhilarating than games that go into sudden death. In the 50 years of New York Islanders hockey, the team has been on the plus side of some of the most memorable post-season overtimes in NHL history.

The Islanders have the best winning percentage (.645) in NHL history in Stanley Cup Playoff games that go to overtime with 40 wins against 22 losses for a winning percentage of .645. New York has been even better on the road (20-9) than they have been at home (20-13).

50th Anniversary Countdown: Top 10 Islanders OT Playoff Goals

As part of our 50th-anniversary countdowns, we rank the Top 10 overtime goals in New York Islanders history, starting with numbers 6 through 10. The Top 5 will be released next week.

Let's start the countdown.

No. 9 - Mike Bossy: Islanders vs. Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals

The Islanders finished the 1981-82 regular season with 118 points, 41 more points than the Vancouver Canucks, who finished with 77. The point differential between the two teams in a final round is the largest in Stanley Cup Finals history.

The upstart Canucks had the Islanders back on their skates during GM 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, leading 5-4 with time winding down in regulation, but the Islanders were the two-time defending champions and had Mike Bossy. At 15:14 of the third, Vancouver goaltender Richard Brodeur misplayed a bouncing puck, allowing John Tonelli to kick it ahead to Bossy, who found the net to tie the game 5-5 late in the third.

Game 1 appeared destined for double-overtime, but with only seconds remaining, Bossy intercepted an errant pass from defenseman Harold Snepsts near the right circle and then unleashed a wrist shot from the slot past Brodeur with just two seconds remaining in overtime for a hat trick and 1-0 series lead.

“He shot it right off the post and in,” said Brodeur, who was so upset as he left the ice that he swung his glove at a television camera. “He had the puck before I knew what was happening. I came out, but it was too late.” Bossy scored seven goals in the four-game sweep and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player.

No. 8 - John Tavares: Islanders vs. Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

The relationship between John Tavares and Islanders fans has changed since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. the Florida Panthers at Barclays Center on April 24th, 2016. But by the end of that night, the face of the franchise had delivered what he was he drafted No. 1overalll to do and advanced the Islanders in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1993.

The Islanders had gone 23 years without a playoff series victory and, for the first time during that stretch, had a chance to clinch a series on home ice. Trailing 1-0 with under a minute left in the regulation, Tavares came off the bench and followed the play as Nick Leddy skated end-to-end. His centering pass was tipped by Nikolay Kulemin and trickled through Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo. Tavares found the puck underneath Luongo and slid it into the net to tie the game.

The Islanders and Panthers would head to double-overtime for the second consecutive game. Finally, at 10:41 of 2OT, Tavares took a pass from Kyle Okposo and fired a hard shot on goal. The Isles captain then found the rebound and scored a wraparound goal to end the series and advance to the next round.

"When I got the rebound, I realized how far he came out," Tavares said. "I had a good step and just tried to not take my time, but really make sure I had control of the puck. And obviously once you get around the net, make sure it goes in."

Goaltender Thomas Greiss was the other star of the series, allowing just 13 goals on 234 shots in the series, for a 1.79 goals-against average and a .944 save-percentage. He made 41 saves in Game 6 after making 47 saves in Game 5, both 2OT victories.

"It's time we had to get over this hump and push forward," Tavares said after the game. "I don't think we tried to put too much pressure on ourselves knowing we weren't here for all of that, but certainly a lot us have been here for a while and it was time for us."

No. 7 - Anthony Beauvillier: Islanders vs. Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs Semi-Finals

Heading into Game 6 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Semi-Finals vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning, fans knew there was a good chance this was the final Islanders game at the Nassau Coliseum - for real this time. Whether or not the Isles would win a Game 7 in Tampa Bay, they did not want the Barn's final memory to be a series-ending loss and a handshake line at center-ice.

Things were looking bleak for the Isles trailing 2-0 late into the second period after being blown out 8-0 in Game 5 down in Tampa. But Jordan Eberle ended Islanders' drought without a goal at 116:23 with a backhand to trim the deficit to 2-1. Then at 11:16 of the third period, defenseman Scott Mayfied tied the game at 2-2 and it would remain that way at the end of regulation.

At 1:08 of the extra session, Anthony Beauviller capitalized on a Blake Coleman turnover and ripped a wrist shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy to send the Coliseum into a frenzy and the Isles to Game 7. "I honestly kind of blacked out a little bit," Beauvillier said. "They turned the puck over, I think, and then I saw it go in and kind of blacked out. I was just so happy, I was screaming, and everyone kind of jumped on me. Obviously, an amazing feeling and I couldn't be more happy." In celebration, the raucous crowd tossed beer bottles onto the ice as the party continued from the arena to the parking lot and onto Hempstead Turnpike and beyond.

"I love this group, the character of this group, and I would say this building and what it's meant to a number of players, but probably more than anything, our fans," said head coach Barry Trotz after the game. The game was the last at the Nassau Coliseum as the Islanders lost Game 7, while the Lightning went on to capture their second consecutive Stanley Cup. Both times, no team took them further than the Islanders.

No. 6 - Ken Morrow: Islanders vs. New York Rangers in Game 5 of the 1984 Patrick Division Semi-Finals

There's always a little more nerves watching the Islanders play the New York Rangers. Now imagine it's a decisive game with your cross-town rivals trying to end your four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions. That was the case during Game 5 of the 1984 Patrick Division Semi-Finals.

The Islanders had eliminated the Rangers four times from the playoffs since 1975, but each series ended at Madison Square Garden. This time, the Islanders beat the Blueshirts on home ice and kept the "Drive for Five" alive on Ken Morrow's goal at 8:56 of overtime for a 3-2 win.

Here is how Morrow described the series clincher in "Maven's Memories":

"Al sent me out as part of a line change and then Brent Sutter took a bad-angle shot that resulted in a rebound. The Rangers tried to clear it along their right boards but John Tonelli kept it in. Then Rangers defenseman Reijo Ruotsalainen tried to clear the puck."

"When it bounced off the boards on my right side, I got it, saw an opening and didn't hesitate. I put the shot right on goal and fortunately Patrick Flatley had camped right in front of Glen Hanlon who was screened. Hanlon didn't see the puck and neither did I. As a matter of fact, I didn't know the puck had gone in until I heard it clang off the bottom of the net. Looking backward, I have to say what a relief that was because the Rangers were terrific."