Schwartz: Ranking The Worst Playoff Losses In Islanders History

By Peter Schwartz
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There's no sugarcoating it. The Islanders' 5-4 overtime loss to the Lightning in Game 3 on Tuesday night at Barclays Center was painful and hard to comprehend.

The Isles were less than a minute away from a win and the series lead, but Nikita Kucherov tied the game with 38.4 seconds left in regulation and then Brian Boyle scored the winner in overtime.

MORE: Capellini: Islanders Chose A Really Bad Time To Revisit Their Ugly Past

For the fans, players, and coaches, it was about as demoralizing a defeat as you can have. I said "about." Though you may believe it now, there have been worse moments for this team in the postseason.

Over the last couple of days, I tried to put the loss into perspective as to where it ranks in the annals of Islanders playoff history. For younger fans, it's probably the most painful loss they've seen, regular season or postseason.

However, for someone like myself who goes back a long way with this team, I can't categorize the loss because we don't know what the ramifications are just yet. If the Islanders come back to win the series, we will probably forget about it, but if they lose the series, it will undoubtedly go down as one of the most painful Stanley Cup tournament losses in team history.

Over the last couple of days, I thought about some of the Islanders' other excruciating playoff defeats and there were some really tough ones.

Having said that, here is my list of the five (actually six) most painful playoff losses in Islanders history:

5. April 14, 1988: Game 6 at New Jersey

The Devils had the series lead heading into Game 6 and led 6-1 entering the third period, but the Islanders made things very interesting. They had a chance to tie in the final second, but Pat LaFontaine's shot was stopped by Sean Burke, literally as the buzzer sounded. After winning the division title, the Islanders' season was over after one round and an epic comeback that came up short.

4. May 18 and 20, 1993: Games 2 and 3 against Montreal

I had to group these together because they were equally painful. After their stunning win over the Penguins in the second round, the Islanders played the Canadiens in the Wales Conference finals. Montreal took the opener 4-1, but Game 2 in Montreal was right there for the taking. Unfortunately, the Islanders lost 4-3 in double overtime. The Islanders then dropped Game 3 at Nassau Coliseum, 2-1 in overtime. If the Isles had won just one of those games they might have been playing for the Stanley Cup. But, ultimately, the Islanders lost the series in five.

3. April 27, 2015: Game 7 at Washington

The Islanders forced the decisive game with a 3-1 win over the Capitals in Game 5 on Long Island. Not only was the series and season on the line, but also the Islanders' history at Nassau Coliseum. A win would mean a second-round matchup with the Rangers and at least two more games at the barn, but a loss would officially end the franchise's 43-year run on Hempstead Turnpike.

With so much at stake, the Islanders, remarkably, came out flat and lost to the Capitals, 2-1, managing just 11 shots on goal.

2. May 8, 1979: Game 6 at Madison Square Garden

The Islanders finished the 1978-79 season with the best record in the NHL and began the postseason by sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks in four games. That set up the second ever "Battle of New York" as the Islanders took on the Rangers. Goalie John Davidson stood on his head in this series as the Rangers pulled off the upset in six games, finishing it off with a 2-1 win.

It was the second of two straight painful playoff losses that would set the stage for the Islanders' run of four straight Stanley Cups. The first tough pill to swallow took place the previous season.

1. April 29, 1978: Game 7 against Toronto

After putting up an NHL-best 111 points, the Islanders received a preliminary round bye and eventually were matched up with the Maple Leafs in the quarterfinals. It was a "homer" series through the first six games, with the deciding game back on Long Island.

The Islanders and Maple Leafs went to overtime tied at 1, but Lanny McDonald scored at 4:13 of the extra session to give the Leafs the victory. It was the only time in my life that I cried after an Islanders game. I was absolutely stunned because it wasn't supposed to happen.

Honorable mention (or best of the worst): Game 7 vs. Flyers in 1975, Game 6 vs. Penguins in 2013, Game 4 vs. Oilers in 1984, and Game 7 vs. Toronto in 2002.

***

The Islanders have enjoyed plenty of exciting moments during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, most notably the dynasty years of 1980-1983. Throw in Ken Morrow's goal against the Rangers in 1984, the "Easter Epic" win over the Capitals in 1987, David Volek's overtime goal that beat the Penguins in 1993 and the John Tavares' double-overtime goal in Game 6 this year against the Panthers and there are a ton of memories to last a lifetime.

As illustrated above, there has also been heartbreak. Where will Tuesday's loss rank in team history? The Islanders can make it a moot point if they can pull out the series. In a few days we could be talking about the defeat as the one that got away and that would just be a really tough pill to swallow.

But one step at a time. The Islanders will try to get back on track in Game 4 on Friday night.

Please follow Pete on Twitter at @pschwartzcbsfan