DVD REVIEW: NEW YORK ISLANDERS – 10 GREATEST GAMES

posted on
05.01.2009

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STUDIO: Warner Home Video
MSRP: $49.98
RATED: Not Rated
RUNNING TIME: 104 min
SPECIAL FEATURES:

Nothing

The Pitch

The New York Islanders win hockey games.

The Humans

Ken Morrow and a host of Islanders from the past

The Nutshell

The New York Islanders used to kick monster ass from 1980-1983. But, so did Blondie and Gary Numan. Naturally, this legacy has fallen by the wayside. That’s not to say they’re a bad team, it’s just that there’s a reason why half of their ten greatest games happened when I was an infant. The team’s best days are behind them, but they’re here for you to view. Even the later celebratory games that were almost gimmes.

Each man knows that the moment they stop talking, Mario Lemieux will run into the room and cockpunch them.

The Lowdown

First off, I’ve got to say thank you to Warner Brothers. Using the Hockey Night in Canada camera footage for the older games rather than the MSG footage is amazing. You get solid cuts and much more close-ups on the action thanks to the expert CBC cameramen. Still, that’s not to discount the games that come courtesy of ESPN-2, WOR or the aforementioned MSG. It’s just that the Canadians know how to shoot hockey.

The New York Islanders – 10 Greatest Games works a lot better than the last Hockey DVD I had to cover. By dropping supplemental materials and focusing on the games, we get a tighter focus on what matters. Seeing the best that the team had to offer as pristine as it was upon the original playdate.

Game 1 1980 Cup Final, Game 6. (CBC)

Game 2 1981 Cup Final, Game 5. (CBC)

Game 3 Game 5 of 1982 Division Semi Finals vs Pittsburgh (WOR)

Game 4 1982 Cup Final, Game 4. (CBC)

Game 5 1983 Cup Final, Game 4. (CBC)

Game 6 Morrow’s OT goal beats Rangers, 1984 Div. Semi Finals, Game 5. (CBC)

Game 7 The Easter Epic vs Washington, 1987 (CBC)

Game 8 Volek’s OT goal in Game 7 beats Pittsburgh, 1993 (CBC)

Game 9 Bates penalty shot game vs Toronto, 4/24/2002 (ESPN2)

Game 10 Al Arbour’s 1500th win. (MSG)

The final game presented on the DVD was Al Arbour’s 1500th win with the Islanders. Arbour was a hell of a coach, but this highlight feels like it could’ve been cut down a lot and not presented as one of the 10 greatest games. It lacks the magic of The Easter Epic or even one of the team’s many Stanley Cup wins.

The Islanders have more highlights than this and I would’ve liked to have seen more footage from the team’s start. It’s only been about thirty-five years since the team’s inception, so we should see footage from that rocky start. Oh well, you take what you get and try to make the best of it.

New York Islanders – 10 Greatest Games comes to DVD
with a rather decent offering. The A/V Quality is about as good as can be expected. Seventy percent of the footage is used from the CBC tapings of Hockey Night in Canada. You get some outside American network cuts of the later games in the 90s and 00s. Still, this isn’t reference quality material.