The conflict between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguin dates back to 1975, when the third year Islanders came back from a 3-0 deficit to eliminate the Penguins in the second round of the playoffs and became a sports trivia staple.
As the Islanders continued to rise in prominence throughout the 70’s, the Penguins languished in mediocrity. In the 1982 playoffs, Pittsburgh had the two-time Stanley Cup champion Islanders on the ropes in a deciding Game 5 before John Tonelli tied and then won the game in overtime to again send the Penguins packing.