Word: trottier
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...above the rest of the Patrick the New York Islanders finally converted confidence into performance, and obtained the consistency and intensity they lacked in previous seasons. With Resch and Smith keeping the nets safe, Potvin & Co. clearing the zone and Bossy-Trottier-Gillies a scoring machine, the Islanders needed primarily to work on one thing: attitude. Two late season victories against Montreal gave the team a big boost as the playoffs approached...
...Bossy and Bryan Trottier (NHL's top scorer this year), and a no-name defense except for likely Noms Trophy winner Denis Potvin, the Islanders pose the first legitimate threat to the Canadiens in several seasons. Al Arbour coaches this position-oriented team, which boasts the best goaltending duo in the NHL (Chico Resch and Billy Smith...
...past six seasons, three of Torrey's kids-Potvin, Trottier and Bossy -paid off with N.H.L. Rookie of the Year awards. Under Coach Al Arbour's system, the whole team plays tight positional hockey, emphasizing pinpoint passing rather than rink-long rushes. Says Arbour: "We draft players we think will conform. When we get down to the final list we'll take a guy who fits-even if he's got less talent...
There is now no dearth of skill, and the Islanders have become a marvelously efficient hockey machine. Lafleur may flash down the ice faster, but the Islanders' front three sweep as one irresistible force. Trottier flicks passes, Gillies dig: the puck out of the corner, Bossy darts in and out of the slot waiting for a pass: three men seemingly skating in one another's minds. Just to stay fresh, they occasionally swap off on a different line. Says Trottier: "If you keep doing the same things, other teams learn how to control you. With different guys...
With the play-offs still two months away, Trottier, Bossy and Gillies are scoring at a pace that could take them past the modern forward line scoring high held by the Boston Bruins' Phil Esposito, Wayne Cashman and Ken Hodge (336 points). The Islanders hope their big three will provide enough muscle to pry the Stanley Cup away from the Canadiens. With a goaltender's fine appreciation of the scorer's art, the Islanders' Glenn Resch sums up his teammates: "You couldn't draft a bigger, stronger left wing than Gillies. Trottier always slips through...