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George Johnson: Like Father, Like Son
Eric Nystrom learned a thing or two from Dad about big goals
Bob Nystrom suffered in solitude. His wife, Michelle, was in Florida on Wednesday night. Even the family dog was out, being boarded at a kennel. So at home on the North Shore of Long Island Sound, the man christened Mr. Islander for his uncanny penchant for scoring the big goal during the halcyon days at Nassau County Coliseum handled the gathering tension as best he could.
"I'm a pacer,'' Nystrom reports. "I just have trouble sitting, you know, when the game is on. For any length of time. I just . . . can't.
"My wife, she's worse. She won't even stay in the room. When things get tight in a game, she walks out, comes back for a couple minutes, then leaves again.
"I was in Chicago for the two games there. I could not stay in my seat. The people around me were probably getting pretty sick of me. I'd be up, pacing on those little walkways.
"But here, watching last night on TV, all I could do was pound the pillows on the sofa. Man, it's tough. When I was playing, I could go out and run somebody over and relax. Being a parent, though, and watching your son, wanting the best for him, but not being able to lift a finger to help. . . . It's such a thrill for us. At the same time, it's way harder than playing.
"I'll tell you, when that puck went in the net, I celebrated the way I used to when I scored a goal, throwing my arms in the air and screaming 'Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!' "
Three seconds or so later, the phone rang. Florida calling.
Eric Nystrom's goal with 6:56 left to contest at the Pengrowth Saddledome was the trigger for all the celebrating. Slotting the rebound of a Cory Sarich point shot behind Nikolai Khabibulin, the hustle-bustle winger saved the Calgary Flames from a comprehensive collapse and sent them winging to the Windy City all square at two games apiece.
The goal was decisive, dramatic. Just the way dad used to score 'em.
"It's a feeling,'' he says, "that's indescribable, to score a big goal at playoff time."
On the Island, Bob Nystrom is nothing short of legendary. His four playoff overtime goals are second in league history only to the iconic Rocket Richard, and his snipe at 7:11 of OT in Game 6 against Philly (where he's still held in utter contempt) on May 24, 1980 propelled the Al Arbour-piloted Isles to the first of four consecutive Stanley Cups.
In the early '80s, playoff time was Nystrom time.
Now, two and a half decades later, it may just be again.
"I don't know whether it's in the genes,'' hedges Bob Nystrom. "But I do think kids are sponges. They soak up everything around them. All the great thingswe learned as players from Al Arbour, the greatest coach ever in my opinion, all the stories, he's heard them, he knows them. They've been a part of his life as long as he can remember.
"Eric was no different than any other young player growing up. Every kid who ever puts on a pair of skates wants to score the winner, right? He's had a few of them. I remember a big goal he scored in the Quebec tournament, when he was 13 years old. I remember it as if it were yesterday
"That was sure a big one last night, though. I thought maybe they'd let that game slip away.
"I'm just so, so proud. My mom (Gunnell), my sister (Annika) and one of our nephews (Joel) were in Calgary, at the game.They'd driven in from Quesnel.I talked to Mom today. She's still a nervous wreck. Oh my god, she said when Eric scored she thought she might faint. Or die.
"I got to talk to him on the phone afterwards, for a few seconds, in all the commotion. I wish I could've been there.''
There's a nice, old-school nastiness to this Hawks-Flames debate that makes Bob Nystrom smile nostalgically. How could he, or anyone of that era, forget those tong wars the Isles engaged in at the old Boston bandbox, or that simmering pit of hell known as the Philadelphia Spectrum.
"Our toughest series? Oh, 1980 against the Bruins, for sure. I lost count of how many bench-clearing brawls there were. But we all stood together, the smallest guy on the team and the biggest. That's how you grow. That's how you bond. That's how you learn to win.
"(Calgary-Chicago) is turning into a great series. Close games. Lots of skill. Speed on both teams.Bad blood. Lots of rough stuff. I like Calgary's team, for a lot of reasons, not just one. They've got a lot of guys there who compete hard.
"I'm a big Flames' fan, obviously. When Eric was drafted, the only thing I worried about was him being picked by the Rangers. I was thinking: 'Not the Rangers. Not the Rangers. Not the Rangers.' The rivalry between the Islanders and the Rangers is so intense, (Ranger fans still chant "Potvin sucks!'' when the mood hits them), I couldn't see myself in Madison Square Garden wearing a Rangers cap.
"Calgary's been a good fit for him. And, like I said, I think they've got a really competitive team.
"The only thing that concerns me right now is their injuries.''
Tomorrow night, Bob Nystrom will be back in front of his set at home on the North Shore of Long Island Sound. He'll be pacing, as usual, and pounding the pillows on the sofa again. But at least Michelle will be there to suffer along with him, ducking in and out of the room. And, you presume, the family pooch, too.
"I can't go to this one,'' sighs Nystrom. "I just can't.But I'll be glued to the TV. If there's a Game 7 in Chicago, I'll sure try to be there.I can't imagine missing a game like that.
"Game 7s,'' says a man who should know, "are very special. But they're nerve-racking, especially for a parent.
"I just hope they win the next two and Game 7 isn't necessary.''
Eric Nystrom learned a thing or two from Dad about big goals
Bob Nystrom suffered in solitude. His wife, Michelle, was in Florida on Wednesday night. Even the family dog was out, being boarded at a kennel. So at home on the North Shore of Long Island Sound, the man christened Mr. Islander for his uncanny penchant for scoring the big goal during the halcyon days at Nassau County Coliseum handled the gathering tension as best he could.
"I'm a pacer,'' Nystrom reports. "I just have trouble sitting, you know, when the game is on. For any length of time. I just . . . can't.
"My wife, she's worse. She won't even stay in the room. When things get tight in a game, she walks out, comes back for a couple minutes, then leaves again.
"I was in Chicago for the two games there. I could not stay in my seat. The people around me were probably getting pretty sick of me. I'd be up, pacing on those little walkways.
"But here, watching last night on TV, all I could do was pound the pillows on the sofa. Man, it's tough. When I was playing, I could go out and run somebody over and relax. Being a parent, though, and watching your son, wanting the best for him, but not being able to lift a finger to help. . . . It's such a thrill for us. At the same time, it's way harder than playing.
"I'll tell you, when that puck went in the net, I celebrated the way I used to when I scored a goal, throwing my arms in the air and screaming 'Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!' "
Three seconds or so later, the phone rang. Florida calling.
Eric Nystrom's goal with 6:56 left to contest at the Pengrowth Saddledome was the trigger for all the celebrating. Slotting the rebound of a Cory Sarich point shot behind Nikolai Khabibulin, the hustle-bustle winger saved the Calgary Flames from a comprehensive collapse and sent them winging to the Windy City all square at two games apiece.
The goal was decisive, dramatic. Just the way dad used to score 'em.
"It's a feeling,'' he says, "that's indescribable, to score a big goal at playoff time."
On the Island, Bob Nystrom is nothing short of legendary. His four playoff overtime goals are second in league history only to the iconic Rocket Richard, and his snipe at 7:11 of OT in Game 6 against Philly (where he's still held in utter contempt) on May 24, 1980 propelled the Al Arbour-piloted Isles to the first of four consecutive Stanley Cups.
In the early '80s, playoff time was Nystrom time.
Now, two and a half decades later, it may just be again.
"I don't know whether it's in the genes,'' hedges Bob Nystrom. "But I do think kids are sponges. They soak up everything around them. All the great thingswe learned as players from Al Arbour, the greatest coach ever in my opinion, all the stories, he's heard them, he knows them. They've been a part of his life as long as he can remember.
"Eric was no different than any other young player growing up. Every kid who ever puts on a pair of skates wants to score the winner, right? He's had a few of them. I remember a big goal he scored in the Quebec tournament, when he was 13 years old. I remember it as if it were yesterday
"That was sure a big one last night, though. I thought maybe they'd let that game slip away.
"I'm just so, so proud. My mom (Gunnell), my sister (Annika) and one of our nephews (Joel) were in Calgary, at the game.They'd driven in from Quesnel.I talked to Mom today. She's still a nervous wreck. Oh my god, she said when Eric scored she thought she might faint. Or die.
"I got to talk to him on the phone afterwards, for a few seconds, in all the commotion. I wish I could've been there.''
There's a nice, old-school nastiness to this Hawks-Flames debate that makes Bob Nystrom smile nostalgically. How could he, or anyone of that era, forget those tong wars the Isles engaged in at the old Boston bandbox, or that simmering pit of hell known as the Philadelphia Spectrum.
"Our toughest series? Oh, 1980 against the Bruins, for sure. I lost count of how many bench-clearing brawls there were. But we all stood together, the smallest guy on the team and the biggest. That's how you grow. That's how you bond. That's how you learn to win.
"(Calgary-Chicago) is turning into a great series. Close games. Lots of skill. Speed on both teams.Bad blood. Lots of rough stuff. I like Calgary's team, for a lot of reasons, not just one. They've got a lot of guys there who compete hard.
"I'm a big Flames' fan, obviously. When Eric was drafted, the only thing I worried about was him being picked by the Rangers. I was thinking: 'Not the Rangers. Not the Rangers. Not the Rangers.' The rivalry between the Islanders and the Rangers is so intense, (Ranger fans still chant "Potvin sucks!'' when the mood hits them), I couldn't see myself in Madison Square Garden wearing a Rangers cap.
"Calgary's been a good fit for him. And, like I said, I think they've got a really competitive team.
"The only thing that concerns me right now is their injuries.''
Tomorrow night, Bob Nystrom will be back in front of his set at home on the North Shore of Long Island Sound. He'll be pacing, as usual, and pounding the pillows on the sofa again. But at least Michelle will be there to suffer along with him, ducking in and out of the room. And, you presume, the family pooch, too.
"I can't go to this one,'' sighs Nystrom. "I just can't.But I'll be glued to the TV. If there's a Game 7 in Chicago, I'll sure try to be there.I can't imagine missing a game like that.
"Game 7s,'' says a man who should know, "are very special. But they're nerve-racking, especially for a parent.
"I just hope they win the next two and Game 7 isn't necessary.''
Oh well -- another year of 'coulda woulda shoulda"--for the Flames-- They have had too many nights like that-- Last night it was Kipper letting in 2 goals on the first 3 shots he faced and 'bulin stoppin 43 on the night
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