Hockey's Power Players

The Islanders' top line could be one for the books

Every seat in suburban Long Island's Nassau Coliseum was occupied, and the hockey fans were in full throat. The New York Islanders, two months a franchise in the National Hockey League, were taking on their mighty Manhattan rivals, the New York Rangers, for the first time and the cheers of the crowd were deafening. And, for the Islanders, galling: the first full house in the team's history was rooting for the Rangers.

Seven years later, the Islanders have carved up every other team in hockey and the fans come to root for them. Lately there is a lot to shout about. With slightly less than half of the season to play, the Islanders have the best record in the N.H.L. (32 wins, 6 ties and only 9 losses). The biggest ovations are reserved for the scoring pyrotechnics of the best forward line in the game, Center Bryan Trottier, Right Wing Mike Bossy and Left Wing Clark Gillies.

The Trio Grande, as now loyal Islander fans call them, have combined for 91 goals and 121 assists--a remarkable 212 total points--in just 47 games. Trottier, a relentless playmaker who has scored 34 goals and shoved the puck to teammates for another 45 points in assists, is battling Montreal's stylish Guy Lafleur for the scoring lead. Bossy, a pure shooter with lightning hands, leads the league in goals with 38. Hovering in the background (19 goals and 45 assists) is Gillies, and at 6 ft., 3 in., 224 lbs., he looms large indeed to harried defenders. Gillies comes up with the puck the direct way: he sweeps the boards of bodies, then passes off the puck they leave behind. With Denis Potvin, the only defenseman other than Bobby Orr to notch two 30-goal seasons, bringing up the rear, an Islanders' onslaught can be awesome. According to Chicago Black Hawk Center Stan Mikita, there is but one good defense: "You just pray a lot."

The big line's scoring punch is the final element in a carefully considered formula for success. When the N.H.L. mushroomed from six to 18 teams a decade ago, most new franchises tried to trade for instant respectability, lavishing huge contracts on fading veterans. But Islander General Manager William Torrey concluded that the future lay in the future: "You can't build a championship club out of someone else's rejects." So the Islanders searched the amateur ranks for talented youngsters and set them to playing cautious, defense-minded hockey until they matured. Says Torrey: "We had to play kids, and at first it was a disaster, but it paid off."

In the 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, you try different things and when you go back to your regular line, damned if they don't work. A little change now and then gets rid of the moss."

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 like Earl Campbell. Bossy can put the puck in the net on every good chance. He and Trottier have that psychic thing between them that a great line has to have. The ingredients are here. If we don't win, we've run out of excuses."

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