NHL history in Pittsburgh last night

Back in 2004, Andreas Szabo published a piece for the SIHR journal on shared
shutouts, "THE SHARED SHUTOUT
A Stat That Slipped Through the Five Hole". A couple of weeks ago, I came
across that piece and used it to update my own records.

In reviewing the original work, it appears that last night, Brent Johnson set an
obscure NHL record. By getting tossed with 17 seconds to play for his fight
with Rick DiPietro, Johnson now becomes the player who has played the longest in
a shared shutout.

Johnson breaks the record of Ron Low, who was forced to leave a game with 24
seconds left on December 29, 1972. Jacques Plante replaced Low after Low was
"stunned by a shot" as the Leafs beat the Pens 4-0.

As I noted in The Skinny (http:///bit.ly/4evr1940) last night:

<<Johnson Loses Shutout
While he earned a "knockout", Brent Johnson lost out on his 15th career shutout
as both goalies were ejected. (Under NHL rules, a goaltender must play the

complete game to earn credit for a personal shutout.) He is the first goalie to
be ejected in the last minute of a potential shutout since JS Giguere was tossed

in a game between Anaheim and Calgary on December 8, 2001.

Shared Shutouts (Strange Stat of the Night)
This is the 4th shared shutout in Islander history (2 for and 2 against) and
the second time due to a goalie fight. The complete list:
· 11/1/77 Isles 9, Atlanta 0 Smith 51:25, Hogosta 8:35 (coach's
decision)
· 11/9/96 Devils 4, Isles 0 Brodeur 59:19, Dunham :41 (8:15 – 8:56 of
3rd period) (coach's decision)
· 4/4/98 Isles 3, Rangers 0 Salo 53:01, Flaherty 6:59 (goalie ejected)
· 2/2/11 Penguins 3, Isles 0 Johnson 59:43, Fleury :17 (goalie ejected)
>>

Based on the SIHR research, I believe that Giguere and Johnson are the only
goalies in NHL history to share in a shutout in which they were ejected in the
final minute.

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

DiPietro/Johnson to be fined, but more?

Rick DiPietro and Brent Johnson will both be fined for their fight last night.
Both were assessed "leaving the crease" peanlties, which carry with it an
automatic $200 fine. Additionally, per rule 27.6, "this incident shall be
reported to the Commissioner for such further disciplinary action as may be
required."

The NHL generally looks unkindly towards incidents in the last five minutes of a
decided game. However, neither goalie, or anyone else on the ice, was assessed
an instigator penalty, which would have subjected them (and their coach) to Rule
46.22::

<<46.22 Fines and Suspensions – Instigator in Final Five Minutes of Regulation
Time (or Anytime in Overtime) - A player who is deemed to be the instigator of
an altercation in the final five (5) minutes of regulation time or at anytime in
overtime (see 46.12), shall be suspended for one game, pending a review of the
incident.

When the one-game suspension is imposed, the Coach shall be fined $10,000 – a
fine that will double for each subsequent incident.

The suspension shall be served unless, upon review of the incident, the Director
of Hockey Operations, at his discretion, deems the incident is not related to
the score, previous incidents in the game or prior games, retaliatory in nature,
"message sending", etc. The length of suspension will double for each subsequent
offense. This suspension shall be served in addition to any other automatic
suspensions a player may incur for an accumulation of three or more instigator
penalties.

No team appeals will be permitted either verbally or in writing regarding the
assessment of this automatic suspension as all incidents are reviewed by the
Director of Hockey Operations as outlined above.>>

Versus, which televised the game, led its NHL Overtime program with the brawl.
NHL on the Fly chose to lead with a more newsworthy event-- Johan Franzen
becoming the first player since 2007 (Marian Gaborik) to score five goals in a
game. Franzen is the first player to score five goals on the road since Alexei
Zhamnov had 5 for Winnipeg in a 7-7 tie with Los Angeles on April 1, 1995.

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

Fight Night

Some numbers (excerpted from The Skinny) on the fight night in Pittsburgh:

72 Penalty Minutes were assessed for the brawl at 19:43 of the third, including
19 for Rick DiPietro, including a game misconduct. DiPietro was given an
interference penalty and then with Matt Martin squared off with Matt Cooke,
DiPietro challenged Penguin netminder Brent Johnson; Johnson dropped DiPietro
with one punch.

It's the first time in his career that DiPietro has been assessed either a major
penalty or misconduct penalty. His 19 penalty minutes are the most by an
Islander goalie since at least 1988. He is the first Isles goalie to earn a
misconduct since Garth Snow (2-19-04 at Madison Square Garden) and the first to
earn a major penalty since Tommy Salo (4-4-98 vs. Rangers).

More Minutes for Z
Konopka ended up with 23 penalty minutes, giving him 45 against the Penguins
this season and a league leading 181. He is the first Islander to record at
least 23 penalty minutes in a game since Eric Cairns had 27 against the Rangers
on February 4, 2004 and the first forward to do so since Gino Odjick had 27
against Colorado on November 17, 1998. His 181 minutes are the 22nd highest
season total in Islander history, the most by any Islander since Cairns' 189 in
2003-04, and the most by an Islander forward since Mick Vukota had 237 in
1993-94. Konopka, who is second in the NHL with 17 fights, has had a fight in
each of the last three games with Pittsburgh.
The Isles drew 58 penalty minutes and the Penguins 46 for the game; 43 of the 72
minutes for the brawl were assessed to the Isles.

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

The Skinny: Pittsburgh 3, Isles 0

"The Skinny"

By Eric Hornick

Game 51
Pittsburgh 3, Isles 0

On Groundhog Day in Pittsburgh, the Penguins made Bill Murray proud, as they
defeated the Islanders for the 11th straight time on home-ice. Pittsburgh beat
the Isles 3-0 before another sellout crowd of 18,142 at CONSOL Energy Center in
Pittsburgh. It's their second straight shutout of the Islanders, marking the
first time since 1972-73 that the Penguins have blanked the Isles twice in one
season.
2-Goal Penguin First
The Penguins grabbed the lead at 8:08 of the first period on a power play goal
by Tyler Kennedy. It was the 13th time in 14 games that the Isles have allowed
the opening goal and a league-leading 34th time in 51 games this season
(5-25-4). Chris Kunitz doubled the advantage just over five minutes later with
his 18th goal of the season.
Power Outage
The Isles, who came into the game with the NHL's 6th highest-rated road power
play, had five opportunities after Pittsburgh grabbed the 2-0 advantage but
managed only three shots on goal. Maxime Talbot's 50th career goal (and first
in 26 games) hit an empty-net goal with 41 seconds remaining put the game away;
it also gave him 100 career points. 3-0 Final.

Fight Night
This was a rough game. A hit by Talbot on Blake Comeau started it all; the
Islanders' response led to the Kennedy power play goal. Zenon Konopka and Mike
Rupp squared off in the second period. But, those who turned away from the game
before the final buzzer missed a brawl at 19:43 of the third. Rick DiPietro was
assessed 19 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. DiPietro was given an
interference penalty and then with Matt Martin squared off with Matt Cooke,
DiPietro challenged Penguin netminder Brent Johnson; Johnson dropped DiPietro
with one punch. 72 penalty minutes were assessed for the brawl, including 43 to
the Islanders. For the game, the Isles drew 58 penalty minutes and the Penguins
46.
More Minutes for Z
Konopka ended up with 23 penalty minutes, giving him 45 against the Penguins
this season and a league leading 181. He is the first Islander to record at
least 23 penalty minutes in a game since Eric Cairns had 27 against the Rangers
on February 4, 2004 and the first forward to do so since Gino Odjick had 27
against Colorado on November 17, 1998. His 181 minutes are the 22nd highest
season total in Islander history, the most by any Islander since Cairns' 189 in
2003-04, and the most by an Islander forward since Mick Vukota had 237 in
1993-94. Konopka, who is second in the NHL with 17 fights, has had a fight in
each of the last three games with Pittsburgh.
Johnson Loses Shutout
While he earned a "knockout", Brent Johnson lost out on his 15th career shutout
as both goalies were ejected. (Under NHL rules, a goaltender must play the
complete game to earn credit for a personal shutout.) He is the first goalie to
be ejected in the last minute of a potential shutout since JS Giguere was tossed
in a game between Anaheim and Calgary on December 8, 2001.
Shared Shutouts (Strange Stat of the Night)
This is the 4th shared shutout in Islander history (2 for and 2 against) and the
second time due to a goalie fight. The complete list:
· 11/1/77 Isles 9, Atlanta 0 Smith 51:25, Hogosta 8:35 (coach's
decision)
· 11/9/96 Devils 4, Isles 0 Brodeur 59:19, Dunham :41 (8:15 – 8:56 of
3rd period) (coach's decision)
· 4/4/98 Isles 3, Rangers 0 Salo 53:01, Flaherty 6:59 (goalie ejected)
· 2/2/11 Penguins 3, Isles 0 Johnson 59:43, Fleury :17 (goalie ejected)
Can't Win If You Can't Score
The Isles have been shutout six times this season, and five times under Jack
Capuano. All six shutouts have been on the road, including three times in the
last five road games.
Pittsburgh has now held the Isles scoreless for 164:26 since Josh Bailey scored
34 seconds into the second period of the Isles' shootout victory on December
29th.
Home and Road
The Penguins, despite playing without Sidney Crosby and Evgeny Malkin, win their
fourth straight game and seventh in the last eight. Pittsburgh improves to
33-15-4 overall, and 18-9-1 at home. The Penguins are the second team in the
East to reach 70 points, and trail Philadelphia by one point.
The Isles are 16-28-7, and are 8-16-3 on the road. They are now 12-18-4 under
Jack Capuano, including 11-10-2 in the last 22. The Isles have 19 points on the
road and 20 points at home.

In the Nets
Johnson made 20 saves as he improved to 9-4-2. He's allowed 2 goals or fewer in
11 of his 14 starts this season. This was his first win since December 22nd.
Marc-Andre Fleury played the final 17 seconds.

DiPietro made 19 saves for the Islanders but suffers his 4th straight loss.
It's also the first time in his career that he has been assessed either a major
penalty or misconduct penalty. His 19 penalty minutes are the most by an
Islander goalie since at least 1988. He is the first Isles goalie to earn a
misconduct since Garth Snow (2-19-04 at Madison Square Garden) and the first to
earn a major penalty since Tommy Salo (4-4-98 vs. Rangers).
Kevin Poulin made one save in the final 17 seconds. Poulin has now stopped 222
of 239 shots in the NHL for a .929 save percentage.
Power Plays
The Isles were 0-5 on the power play while the Penguins were 1-5. The Isles
have killed 41 of 47 (87%) over the last 16 games while Pittsburgh has stopped
32 of the last 33 opponent power plays. The Penguins own the NHL's best penalty
kill (88.6%).

In the Circle
The Isles won 28 of 63 (44%) face-offs. Josh Bailey won 10 of 19.
Missing Men
Mike Mottau and Mark Eaton are out for the season. Mark Streit, Doug Weight,
Trent Hunter, Milan Jurcina and Nathan Lawson remain out. Ty Wishart and Trevor
Gillies were healthy scratches. The Isles have now lost 328 man-games to injury
– equivalent to four players each missing an entire season.

Ironmen
Matt Moulson, the Isles' reigning ironman, has played in all 133 games since
joining the team last season. Zenon Konopka is the only other Isle to have
played every game this season; his 63-game streak includes the final 12 games
last season for Tampa Bay. Travis Hamonic has now played 31 NHL games (all
consecutive); he has the longest consecutive game streak on defense for the
Isles.

Season Series Stats
The Penguins lead the season series three games to one (and seven points to
three). The Isles lost all three games in Pittsburgh (0-2-1) and are winless in
the Steel City for the third straight season. Pittsburgh has two trips to Long
Island remaining, on February 11 and April 8. The Penguins have beaten the
Isles 11 straight times in Pittsburgh, with the Isles earning only one point
(0-10-1). Seven of the eleven games have been decided by two goals or less.

Happy Anniversary
29 years ago today (February 2, 1982): Brent Sutter becomes the sixth rookie
in Islander history to score a hat trick, beating Washington's Dave Parro three
times. The Isles need all three goals as they defeat the Caps 7-6, extending
their winning streak to six straight games and giving Al Arbour his 400th
victory. Brother Duane assisted on all of Brent's goals, which earned him a
share of an Isles rookie club record that still stands today.
All-time, the Isles are 9-6-5 on this date despite having lost their last four
Groundhog Day games.
Up Next
Saturday, February 5 Ottawa @ Islanders 7:00pm
[MSG+ (Subway Islanders Game Night at 6:30), WRHU 88.7FM]
The Isles return home to entertain Ottawa on Saturday. The Sens have beaten the
Isles twice this season, and have outscored the Isles 10-5. The Sens are 1-10-4
in their last 15 straight, and have lost eight straight since defeating the
Isles 6-4 on January 13th.
Eric Hornick has been the statistician on Islander home game telecasts since
1982. Information contained in "The Skinny" has been gathered from various
sources.
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

5 with at least 13

I've been noting in The Skinny for the last several games how a quintet of
Islanders have combined for over 60% of the team's goals:

<<Top 5
The Isles have five players with at least 13 goals (Tavares-18, Moulson-17,
Grabner-15, Comeau-13 and Parenteau-13); the quintet has combined for 76 of the

Isles' 123 goals (62%) this season. >>

While several other teams also have five players with at least 13 goals, only
one team has six players with 13 goals: Philadelphia ( Danny Briere-26, Jeff
Carter-23, Claude Giroux -19, Scott Hartnell - 17, Mike Richards -17, Nikolai
Zherdev - 15 )

After having only four players score at least 20 goals over the past three
seasons (combined), the Isles could have as many as five 20-goal scorers this
season.

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

The Skinny: Isles 4, Atlanta 1

"The Skinny"
 
By Eric Hornick
 
Game 50
Isles 4, Atlanta 1
 
Kyle Okposo scored two goals and added an assist to give him 100 career points
and rookie goaltender Kevin Poulin made 25 saves as the Islanders rallied from a
1-0 deficit to defeat the Atlanta Thrashers 4-1 before 11,176 at Philips Arena
in Atlanta. The win is the Isles' 6th in their last ten road games (6-4-0).
A Gift For Freddy
Former Islander Freddy Meyer was credited for Atlanta's only goal as he scored
from behind the goal line on a puck that Kevin Poulin never saw and appeared to
go off the stick of Travis Hamonic.  A lengthy video review confirmed the goal
at 14:31 of the first.  It was Meyer's first goal since he scored for the Isles
in Vancouver on March 16, 2010.  It was the 12th time in 13 games that the Isles
have allowed the opening goal and a league-leading 33rd time in 50 games this
season (5-24-4).  Atlanta outshot the Isles 10-8 in the opening period.
Big Second Period
The Isles seized control of the game in the middle session.  The record books
will note that Travis Hamonic's first NHL goal came at 5:23 of the second
period. It was the sixth goal in the last nine games for the Islanders'
defense.  Late in the session, Kyle Okposo and PA Parenteau scored one minute
apart to give the Isles a 3-1 lead after two periods.
Okposo, Again
Kyle Okposo connected on a beautiful passing play with Michael Grabner for his
second goal of the night (and of the season) at 11:19 of the third for the
game's final goal and Okposo's 100th career point.  It's the third career
two-goal game (two have come in Atlanta) and third three-point game for Okposo. 
4-1 Final.
Outshoot Opponent… and Win? (Strange Stat of the Night)
The Isles outshot Atlanta 17-9 in the second period and 8-7 in the third, making
the final shots 33-26 in favor of the Isles.  It's the first time all season
that the Isles have outshot their opponents and won the hockey game (1-15-2).
Plus-Time
The Isles had five players who were +2 (Okposo, Tavares, Grabner, Hillen and
Martinek). Grabner, who earned one assist, and had another denied after a
scoring change, leads the Isles with a +4 rating. Grabner, who was named the
NHL's 3rd Star for the past week, has six goals and four assists in the last
nine games; the Isles were shutout in the only game that he did not earn a
point.
Two Helpers for Tavares
John Tavares earned two assists.  He now leads the team in goals (18), assists
(20) and points (38) and is in position to exceed his rookie totals in all three
categories (24-30-54).  He has five points (all assists) in his last seven
games.
Youngster, that's an NHL Goal
Hamonic's goal was his first in the NHL, coming in his 30th game.  At 20 years,
169 days, he is the youngest Islander defensemen to score a goal since Mathieu
Biron scored his third goal for the Isles at the age of 19 years, 290 days,
onFeb 13, 2000 at Madison Square Garden.

Since 1996, the Isles have had 17 goals scored by defensemen younger than
Hamonic:  5 by Eric Brewer, 3 by Biron and 9 by Bryan Berard.
1990
Perhaps, as the years go by, 1990 will be celebrated for other reasons than
being the year the Isles qualified for the playoffs on the last night of the
season or the 50th anniversary of another team's championship.  Poulin, Tavares
and Hamonic all played big roles tonight; all were born in 1990.  Kyle Okposo,
tonight's offensive star, was born in 1988.
Home and Road
The Isles improve to 16-27-7, and are 8-15-3 on the road. They are now 12-17-4
under Jack Capuano, including 11-9-2 in the last 22.  The Isles now have 19
points on the road and 20 points at home.

The struggling Thrashers are 24-20-9 overall and 12-10-5 at home.  They are
5-9-4 in their last 18 games.
In the Nets
Kevin Poulin made 25 saves as he improves to 3-2-1.  Poulin has now stopped 221
of 238 shots in the NHL for a .929 save percentage; his goals against average is
a sparkling 2.37.  Poulin's .929 save percentage is the lowest for any Islander
goalie that has played at least 300 minutes (Wade Dubielewicz is at .920). He
has allowed only one goal in each of his last two NHL starts.
Ondrej Pavelec made 29 saves but falls to 17-13-7 on the season; it was his
100th NHL game.
Power Plays
There were only two penalties called in the game. The Isles scored on their
power play, while stopping Atlanta's only try.  It's the fourth time in the last
10 road games that the Isles have scored on every power play attempt (1-1 vs New
Jersey, 2-2 vs. Calgary and Chicago, 1-1 vs Atlanta).
The Isles have killed 37 of 42 (89%) over the last 15 games. 
Martin Keeps Banging
Matt Martin led the Isles with four hits.  He now has 182, which places him 4th
in the NHL.  All three players ahead of Martin have played at least eight more
games than Martin.  Only Cal Clutterbuck, who leads the NHL in hits, averages
more hits per game than Martin.
Top 5
The Isles have five players with at least 13 goals (Tavares-18, Moulson-17,
Grabner-15, Comeau-13 and Parenteau-13); the quintet has combined for 76 of the
Isles' 123 goals (62%) this season. 

In the Circle
The Isles won 31 of 61 (51%) face-offs. Josh Bailey sparkled in the circle,
winning 8 of 10.  
Missing Men
Mike Mottau and Mark Eaton are out for the season. Mark Streit, Doug Weight,
Trent Hunter, Milan Jurcina and Nathan Lawson remain out. Ty Wishart and Trevor
Gillies were healthy scratches. The Isles have now lost 321 man-games to injury.

Ironmen
Matt Moulson, the Isles' reigning ironman, has played in all 132 games since
joining the team last season.  Zenon Konopka is the only other Isle to have
played every game this season; his 62-game streak includes the final 12 games
last season for Tampa Bay. Travis Hamonic has now played 30 NHL games (all
consecutive); he has the longest consecutive game streak on defense for the
Isles.

Season Series Stats          
The Thrashers still lead the season series two games to one (and four points to
three); the Isles' win tonight snapped a three game losing streak to Atlanta. 
The Isles are 12-5-5 against the Thrashers all-time in Atlanta; they have won at
least one game there in each season since the Thrashers joined the NHL.
Happy Anniversary
17 years ago today (February 1, 1994):   Patrick Flatley scores the Isles' first
three goals for the third (and final) hat trick of his career, Benoit Hogue
scored the other two, including the winner at 11:19 of the third, as the Isles
beat the Sharks 5-4 at the Coliseum.
33 years ago today (February 1, 1978): In a memorable game at Madison Square
Garden, the Isles defeated the Rangers 7-6.  The Isles led 7-4 with four minutes
to play in the third period when Chico Resch was ejected as the third man in
during a fight between Phil Esposito and Stefan Persson.  Billy Smith allowed
two goals in the final four minutes, but the Isles held on for the win. 

All-time, the Isles are 8-4-4 on this date despite not playing at home since
1998.
 
Up Next
Wednesday, February 2 Islanders @ Pittsburgh 7:00pm
[MSG+ (Subway Islanders Game Night at 6:30), WRHU 88.7FM]
The Islanders will look to sweep the road trip on Wednesday night when they
return to Pittsburgh for the second time in just over a week.  The Penguins
defeated the Islanders 1-0 last Tuesday and have beaten the Isles ten straight
times in Pittsburgh, with the Isles earning only one point (0-9-1).  Seven of
the ten games have been decided by two goals or less.

Eric Hornick has been the statistician on Islander home game telecasts since
1982. Information contained in "The Skinny" has been gathered from various
sources.
 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

NHL postpones Blues-Avalanche game; Isles and the weather

I guess their 18-24 inches is worse that what hit New York in December?

<<ST. LOUIS — With an official "blizzard watch" in effect here, tonight's
Colorado Avalanche vs. St. Louis Blues game has been postponed because of the
dangerous weather.Bad weather in St. Louis postpones tonight's Avalanche-Blues
game
By Terry Frei
The Denver Post

Posted: 02/01/2011 11:51:17 AM MST
Updated: 02/01/2011 12:04:24 PM MST

There is no word yet about when the game will be rescheduled.

The Avalanche received word of the postponement as they were boarding the team
bus to go back to their hotel after morning skate.

The blizzard watch means St. Louis-area residents are being urged to stay off
the streets.

Sleet fell yesterday, overnight and this morning. Roads are icy and
treacherous. The forecast is calling for snow totals of 18 to 24 inches, with
winds up to 35 mph, creating possible whiteout conditions.>>

With the Islanders needing to get to Pittsburgh for their game with the Penguins
tomorrow, they could be in danger of their first snowout since 1993 when a large
storm caused a postponement of the March 13th game (against the Pens) and
necessitated the rescheduling of three other games. (The March 13 game was
played March 14, pushing the 3/14 game with the Caps to 3/25, which pushed the
3/25 game with New Jersey to 4/16 and caused 4/15 game with Hartford to be
rescheduled to 4/13)

The Isles have not had a road postponement in over 30 years. On Super Bowl
Sunday, January 21, 1979, the Isles were scheduled to play in Buffalo. (The
Steelers beat the Cowboys 35-31 in a memorable SB XIII.) Ironically that game
was postponed because the Islanders could not get out of LaGuardia, due to
torrential rain/fog. The game was played on Valentines Day.

A strange footnote: had the Islanders played that night, they would have played
three games in three days as they beat Chicago on Saturday (1/20) and again on
Monday (1/22). The Monday game was itself the make-up of a postponement. As it
is, the Isles have NEVER played on three consecutive days.

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