The New York Islanders celebrate after Pat LaFontaine’s fourth-overtime goal in 1987. (Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
With the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals playing Game 7 (7:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network) of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series tonight in D.C., it brings back memories of the Easter Epic four-overtime Game 7 played by the two teams 28 years ago.
Although I was USA TODAY’s hockey writer back then and living in Falls Church, Va., just outside D.C., I didn’t plan to attend that Saturday night game because my wife, Terri, was two weeks past her due date to deliver our second child.
Watching the game at home on television, I began to believe, before the third overtime, that NHL history could be made. Based on what I was seeing, it seemed as if the game might last longer than the NHL-record six-overtime game played by the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings in 1936.
Not wanting to be AWOL for history being made, I whispered to my sleeping wife that I was heading to the Capital Centre.
“I won’t be gone long,” I said.
Arriving early in the fourth overtime, I had just settled into my press box seat when Pat LaFontaine scored at 8:58 of the fourth overtime to win the game for the Islanders. It was 1:58 a.m. Easter Sunday morning.
Remember, this was pre-Internet, meaning I had no pressing deadline. My story wasn’t going to appear until Monday’s paper. After interviewing players, I headed to USA TODAY’s office to chronicle the night’s events.
Just as I finished my story, my phone rang. My wife said it was time to go to the hospital. A few hours later, my second daughter was born at Fairfax Hospital.
Some of my colleagues said I should have named her “Patty” because LaFontaine’s teammates often called him “Patty.” But we named her Kelsey. Today, she is the most hardcore hockey fan among all of my children.
Here are other memories from that night:
–NBC broadcaster Mike Emrick was working for ESPN then. The game is remembered not only for the length, but also because analyst Bill Clement took off his shirt and tie. At one point, he tied his tie around his head. Emrick prompted Clement to do some voice impersonations between periods, such as John Wayne and Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion.
“(Islanders goalie) Kelly Hrudey said after the second overtime, all of the guys started to tell jokes, and nobody could tell them right and then that’s what became funny,” Emrick said. “This is one of the justifications for Clement and I going a little silly. … Bruce Connell was our producer, and I remember he did a countdown, like New Year’s Eve, to Easter. We chanted it down from 10. It was on a faceoff. We weren’t veering away from play. We wished everybody a Happy Easter.
“We weren’t getting too punchy, but Bill got this funny idea and I played along with it. Bill was always hilarious and I was always the straight man. I liked that role. He said, ‘Why don’t we take our shirts off if we get to the third overtime?’ He was also wearing an undershirt. Then he said, if we go four, I will take that shirt off too. What he didn’t know is that I wasn’t going to go along with that because he was a male model at one time and an athlete. He looked a lot better than I did.
“But I went to press room after the overtime, and when I came back, I saw that Bill not only had dress shirt back on, but he also had his tie back on. I said, ‘I bet we got a phone call.’ He said, ‘Yep.’ Now that the statutes of limitations has run out, (the media) did contact ESPN and they did find one person who thought it was not a good idea. But the ultimate hierarchy there did send a bottle of champagne to our door and said, ‘I understand there are things called protocol, nevertheless …’ It was a nice note to get from the high command.”
–Nashville Predators general manager David Poile, who was Capitals GM at the time: “After losing a seven period game, I got home at 3 o’clock in the morning, and I’m in a big funk, walk into the house and start heading upstairs and my wife says, ‘What are you doing?’
“I said, ‘I’m going to bed.’
“She said, ‘No, you have to hide the Easter eggs.’ ”
Your games tonight
Tampa Bay Lightning at Detroit Red Wings, 7, CNBC: Leading 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, the Red Wings can wrap it up if they continue to play as well as they have over the past three games. Detroit rookie goalie Petr Mrazek has shut out the NHL’s top-scoring regular-season team twice in this series.
New York Islanders at Washington Capitals, 7:30, NBC: The Capitals have a stressful history in Game 7, particularly at home. The Capitals are 3-9 overall, and 2-7 at home.
Follow the rest of USA TODAY Sports’ in-depth NHL coverage at nhl.usatoday.com.
