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Toronto Maple Leafs: Not Apologizing to the Islanders

By Michael Joubran

TORONTO, ON - JULY 1: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs poses with his jersey after signing with the Maple Leafs, beside Kyle Dubas, General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Brendan Shanahan, President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, at the Scotiabank Arena on July 1, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JULY 1: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs poses with his jersey after signing with the Maple Leafs, beside Kyle Dubas, General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Brendan Shanahan, President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, at the Scotiabank Arena on July 1, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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I’m not Sorry about John Tavares,  New York Islanders, not really. This is payback for knocking the Toronto Maple Leafs out in 2006-07.

I am not sure how many fans remember this, but considering I was only nine at the time, I remember it vividly. My family went to our grandparents house, usually we go on Saturday but because of how big this game was, we went on the Sunday. Even though the Toronto Maple Leafs were not playing, this game held their playoff hopes.

It was the New York Islanders versus a stacked New Jersey Devils team. One game left, if the Islanders won, they made the playoffs, if they lost in any form, the Leafs would make it.

Lets just say, it did not end well for the guys in blue and white.

April 8, 2007

The Islanders versus the Devils, playing in the Devils home arena. New Jersey one win away from 50 while the Isles need the win to make the playoffs. Let me just restate this again, if the Islanders lost in any way, the Leafs would have made the playoffs. Okay lets continue with the story…

Their was only one goal in the first 45 minutes of the game. Richard Park scored to put the Islanders up 1-0 until 7:51 of the third when he scored again to put them up 2-0. Our playoff hopes looked as good as gone at that point.

With 15:47 John Madden scored to put the Devils on the board, it is 2-1 now! The Leafs may have a shot now…

This is where my best memories from the game are. I remember with about 30 seconds left, my cousin covered the tv with a blanket (one of those yarn ones that have holes in them, so we could still kind of see the game). 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… wait, what? Move the blanket! Oh my gosh, they tied it… Madden scored his second of the game with exactly one second left in the third period. The Leafs hopes are still alive!

Nothing happens during OT and this game is going to a shootout. The Leafs hopes and dreams are now going to be decided by a skills competition. Up first is Miroslav Satan for the New York Islanders, and he scored…damn. Brian Gionta goes up for the Devils, and gets poke checked! Viktor Kozlov is up and he scores, 2-0 Isles.

This is it, all of Leafs nation are watching Sergei Brylin, hoping that he scores for the Devils. He skates hard towards the net, forehand, backhand but before he could shoot the puck, he is poke checked. The New York Islanders win and are heading to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Not Sorry!

Wade Dubielewicz was the goalie for the Islanders, that was his 17th career NHL game. He went on to play in only 43 total games. A goalie who did not even play in 50 games, beat a stacked Devils team with a poke check to end the Leafs’ playoff hopes.

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As a nine-year-old kid, this instantly made the Isles my least favourite team. While the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators are ahead of them now for that position, there has always been that burning passion for revenge.

This is it. Thanks for John Tavares, hope you enjoyed the playoffs.

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