Feb 2026 - Sports Lunatics - The Miracle 1975 New York Islanders - From Doormat to the Pages of History

The 1974-75 New York Islanders were a team in their franchise's third year of existence. They had been a team that had been mediocre at best. But with Al Arbour as their coach and Bill Torrey as their general manager, the team shocked their rivals, the New York Rangers, in the first round. Then, when down 0-3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in their second round series, they defied history and rose from the ashes to defeat their seasoned opponents in that seven-game series. Next up was the defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers who quickly took a 3-0 lead in that series only to see these upstart Isles tie it up and take it to a seventh game. Howie takes excerpts from two of his books, Crazy Days & Wild Nights and The Consequences of Chance to tell the story of this incredible team and their exciting playoff ride.