For those who saw the Edmonton Oilers win their first Stanley Cup in 1984 in five games over the New York Islanders, that may well be the lasting picture.

As the final minutes counted down at Northlands Coliseum, with Dave Lumley's empty-net goal giving the Oilers a 5-2 margin, the ice became an ocean of balloons. What a memorable sight, and feeling.

Then there was that other photo. Wayne Gretzky was circling the ice, hoisting the Cup above is head, like a weightlifter who'd taken the weight of the world off his shoulders.

"I've been in the NHL for five years, and all the time you pick up the paper and read, 'Well, they haven't won the Stanley Cup yet, so they're not that good.' Well, we'll never have to hear that again.

"There's no feeling like this. Nothing compares. When I was carrying the Cup, I thought of Jean Beliveau. I remembered when he picked it up, and how good he looked with it. I was worried a lot about dropping it, though."

So it was that while a new era began, another ended. The Islanders Drive For Five had fallen short.

But New York captain Denis Potvin wasn't bitter about losing his role as carrier of the Cup:

"I felt no shame turning the Cup over to them," he said. "I'm damn proud. Several Oilers talked about idolizing us as we shook hands. One great team turning it over to a team that was great all year. They deserved it."

The finals had figured to be a dandy, a rematch of the previous years' finals when the Islanders had prevailed.

But the difference a year made would be foreshadowed in the opener. Whereas the Isles had won 2-0 in 1983, this time Edmonton prevailed 1-0 in Uniondale - the first such score in Cup history since 1974.

"This takes the monkey off our back," said Kevin McClelland, whose goal early in the third period ended an Oiler streak of 10 consecutive losses to the Islanders.

"This may be the best game we've ever played," said defenceman Paul Coffey.

Time might bear him out - the game remains the only Oiler playoff shutout to this date.

"It was old-time hockey," said goalie Grant Fuhr, "72 shots and only one goal. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care how many goals I let in this series as long as it's one less that Billy (Smith) every night."

Among his most noteworthy stops were a breakaway robbery of Greg Gilbert in the first period and two saves off Bryan Trottier in the second.

But the Islanders offense was not AWOL long.

In game 2, Trottier scored a mere 53 seconds after the opening faceoff and Clark Gillies made it 2-0 with less that six minutes gone. Gillies, who'd managed just 12 goals during the regular season, would up with three goals and a truckfull of fedoras. Trottier added a second goal as the Islanders avenged their opening loss with a convincing 6-1 win.

"The difference between tonight's game and the first one was we were more involved," said Islander coach Al Arbour. "There was more intensity. We won the little battles in the pits."

During the game Billy Smith performed an acting job worthy of James Cagney, lifting his body skyward and falling with a thud when brushed be a passing Oiler. But there was no sympathy awaiting his in Edmonton before game 3.

In fact, the Coliseum erupted into delirious song - "Good-bye Bill-ie" - when he was banished to the Islander bench after six pucks eluded him during the first 46 minutes. Rollie Melanson let in another as Edmonton roared to life with a 7-2 victory.

"It was a case of penetrating through the whole defense," said Coffey. "We weren't scoring the first shots but tonight we got both on rebounds, the kind they usually get two or three guys pounding on."

Fuhr kept the Oilers in the game early, then the team outfired New York 20-7 during one 23-minute segment. Mark Messier led the scoring with two goals.

Game 4 was a variation on a theme. The Oilers scored early - six times in the first 30 minutes - and once again routed the Islanders 7-2. This time, though, Smith stayed around to let in all seven goals - two each by Gretzky and Willy Lindstrom.

In fact, it was the Oilers who pulled a netminding switcheroo - Andy Moog went the distance in place of Fuhr, who had a sore shoulder.

Moments before game 5, Gretzky made an impassioned speech to his teammates. He'd won a paltry five cars to that point in his career, but he stood up and said that all his individual baubles meant nothing unless he got the Cup.

The Oilers didn't let their captain down. They scored twice in the first period to once again chase Smith, connected on two of the first four shots on reliever. Melanson in the second period gave up a pair of goals on Moog by Pat LaFontaine in the first 35 seconds of the third period, then watched as Lumley iced the cake.

To reach the finals the Oilers had a generally easy time with one major exception - the first warning the Calgary Flames would be a team to be reckoned with.

The Oilers swept Winnipeg three straight, and were up 3-1 in games on the Flames when trouble arose. Consecutive 5-4 wins by Calgary - in regulation time at Northlands and in overtime at the Saddledome - evened the series. Edmonton trailed game 7 4-3 at 10:15 of the second period, but roared back for a 7-4 verdict.

Breathing easier, the Oilers swept Minnesota four straight, and eagerly looked forward to a rematch with the Islanders.