classic game: april 26, 1975
By zach weinstock
Sports fans throughout America - even those who prefer baseballs or basketballs to pucks - are familiar with the 1975 New York Islanders.
They have no choice.
That's because every time a team takes a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven series the same old graphic splashes across the television screen, toasting the very short list of upstarts who have ever clawed their way out of such a predicament. "See? It can happen, so tune in for Game Four."
Spoiler: it basically never happens.
Nowadays it’s not quite as rare as it used to be. In fact, until the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings accomplished the feat in 2004, 2010 and 2014 respectively, the 1975 Isles shared the spotlight with only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.
It was a spotlight Bill Torrey's team richly deserved.
After all, the Islanders were not underdogs just because they trailed the Pittsburgh Penguins three games to zip. No, there were layers to their "Cinderella" aura.
For one, the franchise itself was only three years old.
For another, a pinched nerve in Al Arbour's back rendered him hardly able to stand, let alone coach.
And best of all, the most valuable player of the series, Glenn "Chico" Resch, came straight out of nowhere.
Indeed, Charming Chico was the original version of another surprise Isles goaltending hero, Wade "Dubie" Dubielewicz.. Both hailed from Saskatchewan, undersized at 5-foot-9, colorful and bald. Chico supplemented with a comically conspicuous toupee, whereas Dubie let it ride. Neither played major junior hockey. Both went to college in the U.S., were not drafted, and somehow fought their way to the NHL. And ultimately each backstopped a memorable four game winning streak to advance the Isles against impossible odds.
In Chico's case, the road from Moose Jaw to Game Seven of the 1975 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals began at third-string on a last place team in one of Saskatchewan's minor junior leagues. The journey continued through the University of Minnesota-Duluth to a surprise training camp invitation from the Montreal Canadiens, who eventually took a pass on account of Resch's height, or lack thereof. He spent his early-20's as a hockey refugee, making stops in the IHL, AHL and CHL before Torrey and the Islanders took him in.
When the Penguins pummeled Billy Smith for 14 goals in the first three games of the series, Arbour decided to put his rookie into the playoff pressure cooker.
It was a tall order for a short goalie. The high scoring Pens ranked fourth in the entire NHL in goals with over four per game.
The shots kept coming, but the switch in goal made the difference for the Islanders. Chico dominated, with some help from his goalposts, as Pittsburgh clanged two in Game Four, two in Game Five and three more in Game Six.
The seventh game was filled with melodrama. Fights broke out all over the rink in the first period. Clark Gillies went at it with the Penguins' Bob Paradise early, Dave Lewis tossed punches with Bob "Battleship" Kelly late, and at the period's final buzzer, tough little blue-liner Gerry Hart battled with Lowell MacDonald.
But nobody scored, thanks to Resch and his partner, Lady Luck, who guided shots by Syl Apps II and Jean Pronovost toward Chico's mask, and another shot by Apps II off the post.
More close calls were to come. Pronovost hit the post in the third period, marking the ninth and final time Chico was saved by the iron in four games. Then Pittsburgh's best forward, Pierre Larouche, broke free for a one-on-one breakaway. Pierre put on the brakes. Resch came out and poke-checked the puck, a la Hall of Famer Johnny Bower, or Mr. Dubielewicz himself!
Larouche was UN-lucky Pierre without a shot!
The final turning point arrived shortly thereafter. This time the Islanders went on the attack and Captain Eddie Westfall delivered the only goal of the game!
Eighteen's backhand classic came at 14:42 of the third period. That meant that Resch had to stop the Penguins for a little over five minutes. The Islander checkers went to work, suffocated the Penguin attack, and came out of it with the miraculous 1-0 victory, cementing the Isles' place on those aforementioned "It can happen" television graphics forever.
"First of all folks," Chico began in his post-game interview, "I want to thank my best friends, the goalposts, for getting me here tonight." He was only being humble and humorous. Yes, the posts had stopped nine shots, but Resch himself stopped 124!
And his teammates never gave up.
"The Islanders are like a disease," moaned Battleship Kelly. "When they're down, they don't pull the rip cord and bail out. You can't get rid of them."
Relentless. Unwavering. No quit. And it wouldn’t be the last time.