If game six on Wednesday is the last one the Islanders will ever play at Nassau Coliseum, it will go down as one of the most unforgettable wins in the arena’s rich history.
It also had one of the most bizarre fan reactions after Anthony Beauvillier buried the game-winner in overtime to send the series to a decisive game seven.
After picking off a pass in the attacking zone and finishing off a comeback win to keep New York’s series alive, Beauvillier was mobbed along the boards by his teammates, while the Nassau Coliseum ice was mobbed by beer cans, water bottles and rally towels.
The celebratory beer shower may not have been the smartest or safest move, as some Islanders players seemed visibly annoyed as they swatted away incoming cans during their own celebration, but the team still raised their sticks to acknowledge the home crowd at center ice in the potential Coliseum farewell, even as beer cans rained down around them.
“That was amazing,” Mathew Barzal said. “We got that first one and they just got riled up, and in overtime, I’ve never seen anything like that. A little dangerous, but I don’t think you see that too often, so we embraced it. That’s the Islander faithful. They’re passionate, they get excited. That was good stuff.”
The celebration from the fans was of course only part of the memorable evening on Long Island. After getting blown out 8-0 to be put on the brink of elimination, the Islanders fell behind 2-0 in game six, but fought back to force overtime to set up Beauvillier as the hero and put New York on the brink of its first Stanley Cup appearance since 1984.
“These are great moments,” head coach Barry Trotz said. “Coming off the ice and everyone is hugging each other and there’s beer cans flying all over, it’s quite a sight. It’s a moment that you’ll remember. These are big moments and great memories to have. But we’ve gotta get another one.”
Now, the focus turns toward game seven and a chance at the Cup. But if this was the last game at the Coliseum, which has hosted nearly every Islanders season over the past half century, it was an unforgettable and rowdy ending.
“It feels amazing, to be honest,” Beauvillier said. “That building coming into overtime was smelling like cigarettes, and now it’s smelling like beers. That place was going crazy. Everybody is happy we’re going back to Tampa.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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