🏝️ 🌌
Stanley Cup Finals · Game 3

Islanders at North Stars

🗓 🏒 NYI leads 4–1

Islanders, Stanley Cup Finals Game 3, beat North Stars 7–5 on May 17, 1981.

NYI – MNS
29–28
Shots on goal
1/3–2/8
Power play
20–10
Penalty minutes
🏒 The series ⚔️ Head-to-head

The game

The stars, every goal, the box score and the recap
Head-to-head →

Stanley Cup Finals — Best of 7

MNS vs NYI · NYI leads 4–1 Full series →
Game 1
3–6
Final · NYI
Game 2
3–6
Final · NYI
Game 3
7–5
Final · NYI
Game 4
2–4
Final · MNS
Game 5
1–5
Final · NYI

Three stars

Best games by the box score
1st star 🏝️ NYI
Mike Bossy
2 G, 2 A
4 shots · +3
2nd star 🏝️ NYI
Butch Goring
3 G
6 shots · +2
3rd star 🌌 MNS
Steve Payne
2 G, 1 A
3 shots · -2

Scoring

12 goals · in order
1st period
🌌 Steve Christoff PP Go-ahead 1st · 03:25
Assists: Craig Hartsburg, Dino Ciccarelli · beat Billy Smith
0–1
🌌 Steve Payne 1st · 14:09
Assists: Tim Young, Al MacAdam · beat Billy Smith
0–2
🏝️ Mike Bossy 1st · 14:47
Assists: Clark Gillies · beat Gilles Meloche
1–2
🌌 Bobby Smith PP 1st · 16:30
Assists: Craig Hartsburg, Steve Payne · beat Billy Smith
1–3
2nd period
🏝️ Bobby Nystrom 2nd · 04:10
Assists: John Tonelli, Wayne Merrick · beat Gilles Meloche
2–3
🏝️ Butch Goring PP Tying 2nd · 07:16
Assists: Denis Potvin, Mike Bossy · beat Gilles Meloche
3–3
🏝️ Butch Goring Go-ahead 2nd · 11:51
Assists: Clark Gillies · beat Gilles Meloche
4–3
3rd period
🌌 Steve Payne Tying 3rd · 01:11
Assists: Tim Young, Steve Christoff · beat Billy Smith
4–4
🏝️ Mike Bossy Go-ahead 3rd · 02:05
Assists: Bryan Trottier · beat Gilles Meloche
5–4
🏝️ Butch Goring 3rd · 06:34
Assists: Billy Carroll, Denis Potvin · beat Gilles Meloche
6–4
🌌 Dino Ciccarelli 3rd · 13:35
Assists: Bobby Smith · beat Billy Smith
6–5
🏝️ Bryan Trottier Empty net 3rd · 19:16
Assists: Mike Bossy, Wayne Merrick
7–5

Team stats

Away left · home right
🏝️NYI MNS🌌
29 Shots on goal 28
1/3 Power play (goals / chances) 2/8
20 Penalty minutes 10
NYI shooting 24.1% (7/29) MNS shooting 17.9% (5/28)

Goaltending

Saves, shots faced and save percentage
🏝️Islanders
Billy Smith
0/5
.000 SV% · 5 GA · 60:00 TOI
🌌North Stars
Gilles Meloche
0/6
.000 SV% · 6 GA · 59:45 TOI

Period by period

AI
After 1st — 1–3
Islanders
Islanders — trailing by 2 goals after 1st: 1-4 (20% win rate, 5 games)
North Stars
North Stars — leading by 2 goals after 1st: 9-1 (90% win rate, 10 games)
After 2nd — 4–3
Islanders
Islanders — leading by 1 goal after 2nd: 15-3 (83% win rate, 18 games)
North Stars
North Stars — trailing by 1 goal after 2nd: 4-10 (29% win rate, 14 games)

Last meetings

All →
May 141981 🌌MNS @ 🏝️NYI 3–6 May 121981 🌌MNS @ 🏝️NYI 3–6 Feb 231981 🏝️NYI @ 🌌MNS 4–1 Feb 71981 🌌MNS @ 🏝️NYI 5–5 Nov 171980 🏝️NYI @ 🌌MNS 2–1
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Questions and what's next

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NYI vs MNS, answered

Who won Islanders vs North Stars on May 17, 1981?

Islanders won 7–5. The final score was Islanders 7, North Stars 5.

Who scored for Islanders?

Butch Goring (3), Mike Bossy (2), Bobby Nystrom, Bryan Trottier.

Who scored for North Stars?

Steve Payne (2), Bobby Smith, Dino Ciccarelli, Steve Christoff.

How did the Islanders goalie play?

Billy Smith made 0 saves on 5 shots (.000 save percentage).

How did the North Stars goalie play?

Gilles Meloche made 0 saves on 6 shots (.000 save percentage).

Have a different question? Ask the Oracle — it answers from real box scores.

Around this game

Before and after, for both teams
🏝️ Islanders
BeforeMay 14 🌌MNS @ 🏝️NYI 3–6 AfterMay 19 🏝️NYI @ 🌌MNS 2–4
🌌 North Stars
BeforeMay 14 🌌MNS @ 🏝️NYI 3–6 AfterMay 19 🏝️NYI @ 🌌MNS 2–4
Islanders season page North Stars season page Full NHL schedule