Stat Trick: Isles 2, Rangers 1

Okay, blame me. Just seconds after I gave Howie the note about the Islanders having only one shutout in their history at MSG (12/17/75 for Billy Smith), Markus Naslund broke the shutout. I've never believed in these jinxes, but it happened so quickly I spent about 15 seconds laughing --hopefully you couldn't hear me on the air! On to the trick.

1. As of Monday morning, the Isles had two wins. They now have 4.

2. As of Monday morning, the Isles had three shorthanded goals. They now have a league-leading 6, including a club record-tying two in the third period tonight.

3. The Isles are now 2-2-1 on the road this season. Believe it or not, it's their best road start since the Isles won their first six road games in 2001-02.

and a few more...

4. The Isles are now 6-1 on Presidential Election nights, losing only in 1992.

5. The Isles improve to 8-1-1 in their last ten trips to Manhattan. Six of the eight wins, including the last 4, have been by one goal.

6. While they didn't get the shutout, the Isles allowed only one goal for the first time this season, ending a stretch of 16 straight games (over two seasons) that they had allowed at least two goals.

7. A couple of strange Ranger streaks ended tonight. They had earned at least a point in every game they had allowed the first goal (5-0-1) and in every game that they didn't lead after 20 minutes (8-0-1).

8. The Isles didn't score on the power play tonight, so they still have eight pp goals; they've score six while shorthanded. The six SH goals (4 shy of last year's total) have been scored by six different players.

9. The Isles have been outscored 28-13 at even strength (the Rangers' 6th attacker goal tonight falls into that statistically) but have outscored their opponents 18-13 in all other situations.

10. The Isles are 3-1 in games played on back-to-back nights and 1-6-1 in all other games. They've now won the back-end of four straight back-to-backs dating back to last season.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

Stat Trick: Election Night

1. The Isles are 15-5-3 on Election night, including 5-1 on Presidential Election nights, having been idle in 1972 and 1996, and locked out in 2004.

2.  The Isles have won their last four Election Night games, including last season's 3-2 thriller over the Rangers at the Coliseum.

3.  While the Isles almost never open the season at home, they almost always play at home on Election night.  This is only their third election night road game (winning, along with Jimmy Carter,  in 1976 in Colorado and losing in 1992, along with George Bush 41 in Pittsburgh). 

4.  The Isles are 4-0 at home on Presidential Election nights and 1-1 on the road; the White House changed parties in both previous times the Isles played an Election night road game. 

5.  Republicans have been elected every time the Isles have played at home on Presidential Election Night; Democrats have won the two times that the Isles played on the road.

5.  The Isles have played the Rangers twice on election night, beating them by one goal in both 1988 and 2007.

The complete list:

05-Nov-74    Vs    Philadelphia    4    4    T
04-Nov-75    Vs    California    5    3    W
02-Nov-76    @    Colorado    5    1    W   ==  President Carter elected
07-Nov-78    Vs    Minnesota    5    2    W
06-Nov-79    Vs    Los Angeles    4    1    W
04-Nov-80    Vs    Detroit            6    4    W ==President Reagan elected
03-Nov-81    Vs    Calgary            2    2    T
02-Nov-82    Vs    Pittsburgh    1    3    L
08-Nov-83    Vs    Philadelphia    4    1    W
06-Nov-84    Vs    St. Louis    6    3    W ==President Reagan re-elected
05-Nov-85    Vs    Calgary            4    4    T
04-Nov-86    Vs    Washington    7    1    W
03-Nov-87    Vs    New Jersey    6    3    W
08-Nov-88    Vs    New York    4    3    W ==President Bush 41 elected
07-Nov-89    Vs    Washington    3    5    L
06-Nov-90    Vs    Toronto            4    3    W
03-Nov-92    @    Pittsburgh    0    2    L ==President Clinton elected
02-Nov-93    Vs    Vancouver    1    2    L
07-Nov-95    Vs    Vancouver    2    5    L
07-Nov-2000    Vs    Nashville    2    1    W ==President Bush 43 elected
06-Nov-2001    Vs    Tampa Bay    3    0    W
08-Nov-2005  Vs New Jersey  4 1 W
06-Nov-2007  Vs New York   3  2  W
04-Nov-2008  Vs New York

 Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

Stat Trick: Montreal 5, Islanders 4

Just over 20 years ago, Jack Buck (Joe's dad for you young'ins) had one of the great calls in baseball history, calling Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run. You can hear it here: http://www.bayblitz.com/WEB%20GIFS%201/gibson1_short.wav

To paraphrase, "The (Canadiens) win the game 5 to 4; I don't believe what I just saw. I don't believe what I just saw."

On to the trick:

Where to begin:

The good:

1. The Isles scored 2 pp goals in a game for the first time this season, after going 3-27 in the first five games at home on the power play.

2. Mark Streit has been on the ice for every Islander power play goal this season. He four goals in the last 5 games (all on special teams).

3. The Islanders scored 4 goals in 2 periods against the Canadiens; one more than they tallied in four games last season.

4. The Isles scored four consecutive goals for the first time since February 16th against Atlanta.

5. The Islanders took a lead for the first time in 6 games (317:04 since their OT winner in Tampa)

6. The Islanders took a three goal lead for the first time since the home Opener. (Tonight was also the first time they led at any time on home ice since the opener as well.

7. Streit and Weight each have points in five straight games. Weight also won 8 of 10 face-offs.

8. Franz Nielsen had his first goal of the season and an assist. He won 9 of 12 draws, and has won 23 of 30 draws over the last two games.

The bad and the ugly:

1. The Isles allowed an early goal for the 6th straight game, all losses. They have allowed the first goal in 7 of their first 10 games and are 0-6-1 when doing so.

2. The Isles blew a three-goal lead in the third period, allowing 4 goals in 7:31. (The Isles were 22-1-2 when they led after two last season (losing to Toronto at the Coliseum on March 18) and 29-1-5 (with the loss coming the night Ricky was hurt in Montreal ) in 2006-07).

3. Plekanac and Kovalev each had four points for Montreal. Kovalev and Andrei Kostitsyn were both +4.

4. The Islanders scored 4 goals but lost at home in regulation for the first time since October 29, 2005 vs Buffalo (6-4) (and the first time against Montreal anywhere since 1981! Really.)

5. The Canadiens outshot the Isles 16-1 in the first 16 minutes of the third period.

6. The Isles fall to 2-7-1, equalling the worst 10-game start in club history. They were 2-7-1 in both 1972-73 and 1993-94. Their five points is the fewest in the league -- one less than Atlanta.

7. The Isles have lost 6 straight to Montreal; longest since losing 10 straight to Les Habitants between 1975-1978.

8. The Isles are 1-5-0 at home this season; the 2 points equals the worst 6-game home start in their history (0-4-2 in 1989-90 and 1-5-0 in 1972-73). They are 2-11-2 in their last 15 Coliseum games, dating back to last February.

9. The Isles have allowed 25 goals in the five straight home losses; most since allowing 25 in Feb/Mar 200. (The all-time worst in 27, most recently in 2000.

10. The Isles are 5-16-3 in their last 24 games (over 2 seasons).

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

Stat Trick

It certainly didn't feel like Islanders-Rangers for most of the night, despite a pretty good game for two periods. On to the trick:

1. The Isles have allowed a goal in the first four minutes of the last 4 home games -- all losses. The 1-4 start is their worst at home since 1989-90. The Isles have not led at any point in any of those games.

2. Kyle Okposo had the first Isles goal and had 7 shots. He leads all NHL rookies with 23 shots on goal.

3. Mark Streit scored the Isles' third shorthanded goal of the season. Only Philadelphia and San Jose (each with 4) have more. The Isles scored 10 SH goals all last season. Streit has three goals on the season -- Mike Green is the only defensemen with more(4); all three of Streit's goals have been special teams goals.

and some more:

4. Yann Danis served as the back-up (and probably thought that he was close to getting in after MacDonald had his bell rung in the third.) Danis has appeared in 6 NHL, all for the Canadiens in October/November 2005.

5. Triple negative is still negative:
Isles are 0-5-0 when allowing the first goal, 0-4-0 when trailing after one period, and 0-6-0 when trailing after two periods.

6. Even more negative:
The Isles will play their final game of the month on Thursday in Philadelphia. If the Isles lose in regulation, they will equal the worst 9 game start in team history and have one fewer point through 9 games than the Original Islanders. They will also become the third Isles team to lose 7 games in October, previously done in 90-91 and 93-94.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

Stat Trick: Carolina 4, Isles 3

The Islanders re-wrote the record books, but in the end a goal set up by a Sutter at 7:11 proved to be the difference. On to the trick:

1. Shots. Lots of shots. 60 officially -- smashing the Islander club record of 54, set on 1/1/94 vs Hartford and equaled on 3/17/04 in Florida. (By the way, they lost both of those games also, including 4-3 to the Whalers). The 60 shots are the most the Hurricane franchise has ever allowed.

2. Rick DiPietro left with an apparent injury after the first period. He's allowed 9 goals in 7 periods of work this season (3.86 GAA) and has allowed 6 goals in three first periods in that stretch.

3. The Isles have allowed the first goal 4 times, losing all 4 and have trailed after two periods in all five of their losses.

and a few more:

4. Doug Weight was stopped on a penalty shot in the game's final second (0.7 seconds remained) It's the second failed Islander penalty shot of the season-Okposo was stopped on opening night in New Jersey. The Isles have now scored on only 11 of the 41 penalty shots in their history, including 1 of their last 15.

5. Cam Ward obliterated his career high in saves, stopping 57 shots. (Previous high was 42) He has stopped 5 of 7 career penalty shots. He is now 6-2 in his career against the Isles. Ward btw was born on Feburary 29, 1984--the day Flatley and LaFontaine debuted for the then Stanley Cup champion Islanders.

6. Bill Guerin led the Isles with 10 shots on goal. Every Isle except Bruno Gervais had at least one.

7. The Isles' record drops to 2-5. Four points is their worst 7-game start since going 1-4-2 to open the 1996-97 season. The Isles are 1-3 at home, equaling the fewest points in their first four home games. If the Isles lose in regulation on Monday, it will be their worst home start since the 1989-90 season.

8. Here's hoping that Brandon Sutter is okay, after absorbing a clean open-ice hit from Doug Weight in the third period.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

OK -- people are reading. Stat Trick errata.

"Streit became the first Islander to score a goal this season."

should read

"Streit became the first Islander born in Switzerland to score a goal this season."

(or "Streit became the first Islander defensemen to score a goal this season".)

As always, thanks for reading!

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.