Friday, October 16, 2009

Stat Trick: Sabres 6, Isles 3

One of these the Isles will win a game.  It just wasn't today.  On to the trick...
 
1.  The Isles drop to 0-2-3 on the young campaign with a 6-3 defeat in Buffalo.  The Isles now have a 9-game losing streak (0-6-3) dating back to last season.  It's the third time in club history that they have opened winless in the season's first five games, going 0-3-4 to open 1973-74 (with a rookie star named Denis Potvin and a rookie coach named Al Arbour) and 0-4-1 to open
1995-96 (with a first year coach named Mike Milbury).
 
2.  Dwayne Roloson hasn't stopped a shot on a shootout this season (one shot hit a post) and now he's allowed a penalty shot goal as Clarke MacArthur scored tonight.  Roloson, who has never beaten the Sabres (0-5-2), allowed four goals on twelve shots before he was pulled.  It was the first time that the Sabres have ever scored on a penalty shot against the Islanders; Kevin Weekes stopped Miro Satan in 2000 in the only other Sabre penalty shot against the Isles.
 
3. Tyler Myers scored his first NHL goal to open the scoring.  Myers was the 12th pick overall in 2008.  Jason Pominville had his 100th career goal to finish the scoring.
 
...and a few more...
 
4.  John Tavares could have had a hat trick, but he did convert on one of the chances for his 3rd goal in five NHL games. He led all players with seven shots.
 
5.  Matt Moulson and Andy Sutton had the other goals for the Isles, who trailed 3-0 and weren't ever able to get closer than two.
 
6. Dumb penalty of the night went to Joel Rechlicz. He crosschecked Jason Pominville after the whistle and it led to ex-Isles Tim Connolly scoring a power-play goal to make it 3-0. It was Rechlicz' only shift of the second period and he didn't play at all in the third period.
 
7.Martin Biron replaced Rolosn had made twenty saves.  Ryan Miller had thirty-six saves for the winning Sabres, who had points from twelve different players.
 
8. Brendan Witt blocked four shots, but otherwise had a rough night, going -3.
 
9. No offense, but.... the Isles have now scored three goals or fewer in sixteen straight games, going back to last season.
 
10. Matt Moulson continues his strong play.  He now has six points in the season's first five games after recording a goal and an assist tonight.
 
Up next:  The Isles return home to face San Jose on Saturday.  The Isles beat San Jose on President's Day 2008 in the Sharks' first visit to Long Island since Bryan Trottier's uniform was retired before the eighth game of the Peter Laviolette era in 2001.
 
Trivia: Besides the Sabres, who is the only other NHL team that Roloson has not beaten in his NHL career?
 
Answer: The Devils.  Roloson is 0-6-2 against New Jersey.
 
Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

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