NHL Playoffs Roundup : Smith Forges an Islanders’ Victory

Billy Smith helped the New York Islanders make National Hockey League history Tuesday night at Landover, Md.

The Islanders’ irrepressible goalie was in magnificent form, turning aside 39 shots as the Islanders defeated the Washington Capitals, 2-1, before a sellout crowd of 18,130 to clinch the decisive fifth game of the Patrick Division semifinals.

New York, which had won four Stanley Cup championships before losing to Edmonton in the finals last season, became the first NHL team to overcome a 2-0 deficit and win a five-game series.

The victory sends the Islanders into the best-of-seven division finals against the Philadelphia Flyers. The series opens at Philadelphia Thursday night.

Second-period goals by Anders Kallur and Brent Sutter provided all the margin needed by Smith, the league’s all-time leader with 88 playoff victories.

“We had quality chances,” Washington Coach Bryan Murray said. “There must be something about Billy Smith. . . . We haven’t solved the mystery of scoring enough goals to beat him. Smitty made the obvious difference.”

Added New York Coach Al Arbour: “Smitty made the big saves when they counted . . . time and time again.”

Said Smith: “We have the kind of hockey team that will not give up . . . that says it all.

“When we were down two games,” he said, “a lot of people wrote us off.”

Kallur snapped a scoreless tie at 10:08 of the second period on a breakaway goal, after taking the puck from Washington’s Craig Laughlin at the red line and shooting it to the stick side of a diving goalie Pat Riggin.

New York, which had lost five previous road games in playoff competition, made it 2-0 at 16:56 mark when Sutter took a backhanded pass from Mike Bossy in front of the net and shot between the legs of Riggin.

Bob Carpenter, a 53-goal scorer for Washington during the regular season, revived the Caps with his only goal of the playoffs just 29 seconds before the end of the period. He converted a shot from the crease after a taking a pass from the left corner from Bengt Gustafsson.

Washington, which has lost to New York in all three of its playoff appearances, attacked relentlessly during the last two periods. But Smith was equal to the occasion.

Smith’s 39 saves included 18 in the second period and 14 in the final period. He stopped several head-on shots, and thwarted Washington during a 2:35 power play in the second period that included 1:25 of a 5-3 advantage.

Quebec 6, Buffalo 5--Brent Ashton capped a three-goal third-period comeback by scoring an unassisted goal with 1:09 left to give the Nordiques the win in the fifth and deciding game of the Adams Division semifinal series at Quebec.

Ashton picked up a loose puck in the circle before threading a low shot that deflected in off the post to beat goalie Tom Barrasso. The loss left the Sabres winless in the Quebec Colisee since December, 1982.

Buffalo took a 5-3 lead early in the third period when defenseman Phil Housley scored on a screen shot from the point, but Quebec came back with a strong offensive display, scoring twice in 64 seconds to tie the game.

Alain Cote scored on a low shot from the edge of the faceoff circle at 11:02, and defenseman Randy Moller poked in a centering pass from Peter Stastny to make it 5-5.

Montreal 1, Boston 0--Mats Naslund scored with 51 seconds left in the game to lift the Canadiens to victory in the fifth and deciding game of their Adams Division semifinal series at Montreal.

Montreal will host Quebec Thursday night in the opening game of the best-of-seven second round of Stanley Cup playoffs, resuming their provincial Battle of Quebec.

Naslund took a pass around the right boards from Mario Tremblay, skated around Bruin defenseman Mike O’Connell and slithered the puck under sprawling Boston goaltender Doug Keans.

With six seconds remaining and Keans pulled in favor of an extra attacker, O’Connell took a slapshot from the slot and Montreal goalie Steve Penney went down on his knees and smothered the puck as the Bruins converged on him.