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Thursday, January 10, 2013

NHL Schedule: 48 games/99 days

Per Sportsnet's John Shannon (@JSportsnet), the final day of the regular season will be April 27 (with playoffs opening May 1st).

So most NHL teams are going to play 48 games in 99 days. That's quite a pace -- but not unprecedented, even in a non-lockout season.

The Isles played 48 games/99 days as recently as the 2010-11 season.  Games 31-78 were played in a 99-day span.

The Isles also did it in three overlapping periods in 2009-10, eight overlapping periods in 2007-08, and 12 overlapping periods in 2003-04.  Both the 2002/03 and 2003/04 Isles ended the season with 48 games in 99 days -- both teams also made the playoffs.

Other 48/99's or less: once in 2002/03 (cited above), three times in 1999/2000 and NINETEEN times in 1972-73.

The fewest days needed to play 48 regular season Islander games: 94, between December 4, 1972 and March 13, 1973. The Isles went 6-39-3 in those 48 games, accumulating 15 of the 30 (12-60-6) points they earned all season.


In the 48-game 1994-95 season, the Isles played 48 games in 101 days, opening on January 21 and finishing on May 2.

The final game of the 1994-95 season was also the last time the Islanders played a game in May, coming closest in 2001-02 (losing on April 30th in game 7 to the Leafs).


Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick 

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