Minnesota North Stars vs New York Islanders
Playoffs · Thursday, May 21, 1981 · Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Game summary
The New York Islanders beat the Minnesota North Stars 5–1 on Thursday, May 21, 1981 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Islanders outshot the North Stars 33–25.
Butch Goring scored twice. Wayne Merrick, Steve Christoff, Bob Bourne and Mike McEwen also scored.
Billy Smith made 24 saves on 25 shots for the win; Don Beaupre stopped 28 of 33.
Scoring
1st period
Butch Goring (9)Bob Bourne (6)0–105:12 NYI · 
Wayne Merrick (6)John Tonelli (8), Bobby Nystrom (6)0–205:37 NYI- Butch Goring (10)Clark Gillies (9), Mike Bossy (18)0–310:03 NYI
Steve Christoff (8)Unassisted1–316:06 MNS
2nd period
Bob Bourne (4)Billy Carroll (9), Anders Kallur (3)1–419:21 NYI
3rd period
Mike McEwen (6)Bryan Trottier (18)1–517:06 NYI
Team stats
MNSNYI
2533
0%0%
0/41/3
1214
00
00
00
00
Penalties
- 0:56 into the first period
Bobby Nystrom · holding2 min - 3:52 into the first period
Brad Palmer · holding2 min - 19:00 into the first periodBob Lorimer · slashing2 min
- 7:33 into the second periodPaul Shmyr · elbowing2 min
- 14:43 into the second periodGreg Smith · cross checking2 min
- 19:55 into the second periodKevin Maxwell · roughing2 min
- 19:55 into the second periodGord Lane · roughing2 min
- 3:47 into the third periodBob Lorimer · holding2 min
- 7:57 into the third periodBrad Maxwell · slashing2 min
- 7:57 into the third periodJohn Tonelli · slashing2 min
- 11:48 into the third periodGord Lane · high sticking2 min
- 16:42 into the third periodKevin Maxwell · slashing2 min
- 16:42 into the third periodBilly Smith · slashing2 min
Season series
Minnesota North Stars
| 28Steve ChristoffC | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 2 | – |
| 7Neal BrotenC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 8Kent-Erik AnderssonR | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 0 | – |
| 9Kevin MaxwellC | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 2 | – |
| 14Brad PalmerL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – |
| 15Bobby SmithC | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 5 | – |
| 16Mike PolichC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 20Dino CiccarelliR | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 0 | – |
| 25Al MacAdamR | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 4 | – |
| 26Steve PayneL | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 2 | – |
| 29Tom YounghansR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2Curt GilesD | 0 | 0 | 0 | −3 | 1 | – |
| 4Craig HartsburgD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – |
| 5Brad MaxwellD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | – |
| 6Paul ShmyrD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 10Gordie RobertsD | 0 | 0 | 0 | −3 | 1 | – |
| 23Greg SmithD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| Goalie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27Gilles MelocheG | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 33Don BeaupreG | L | 33 | 5 | .849 |
New York Islanders
| 14Bob BourneC | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 91Butch GoringC | 2 | 0 | 2 | +1 | 4 | – |
| 9Clark GilliesL | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 4 | – |
| 11Wayne MerrickC | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 2 | – |
| 19Bryan TrottierC | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | – |
| 22Mike BossyR | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 1 | – |
| 23Bobby NystromR | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 0 | – |
| 25Billy CarrollC | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 2 | – |
| 27John TonelliL | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 1 | – |
| 28Anders KallurC | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 16Mike McEwenD | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | – |
| 12Duane SutterR | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 2 | – |
| 4Bob LorimerD | 0 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 2 | – |
| 5Denis PotvinD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 6Ken MorrowD | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | – |
| 24Gord LaneD | 0 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 0 | – |
| 26Dave LangevinD | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 | – |
| Goalie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Roland MelansonG | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 31Billy SmithG | W | 25 | 1 | .960 |