Bob Nystrom was a fan favorite on Long Island. And make no mistake, he played a huge roll on perhaps the greatest team of all time.
An aggressive player who relied on hard work and physical game, Nystrom is best known as a clutch playoff performer and overtime hero. He scored overtime winners against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1978, versus the New York Rangers in 1979, and against the Buffalo Sabres during the 1980 post-season. But it was Nystrom's dramatic overtime goal in 1980. His goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime of the Stanley Cup finals gave the Islanders their first of four consecutive Stanley Cups. In 900 regular season games, he scored 235 goals, 278 assists and 513 points while accumulating 1,248 penalty minutes. However Nystrom's most noteworthy contributions occured during the post-season, scoring 39 goals, 44 assists and 83 points in 157 games. An underrated winger and great leader, Nystrom doesn't get the credit for the Islanders dynasy in the way Bossy, Trottier, Smith, Potvin or Arbour do, but his teammates would be the first to tell you how important he was. |