Wednesday's announced attendance of 8,025 is the lowest at an Islander home game since December 19, 2009 (7,842 vs Montreal). That is the only game since January 2, 2001 in which the Isles have announced an attendance below 8,000.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Winless Streaks
By current NHL accounting, the Isles now have an 11-game winless streak (0-10-1). It's the first time since 1998-99, and the ninth time in franchise history, that they have gone winless in 11.
The Isles will need a victory on Saturday to avoid having a winless streak of at least 12 games for the first time since a 14-game skein in 1990. The Isles eventually made the playoffs that season; with Uwe Krupp's overtime goal costing the Islanders a shot at Jaromir Jagr.
Isles winless streaks of at least 11 games:
15- November 21, 1972-December 20, 1972 (12 losses, 3 ties)
15- November 21, 1972-December 20, 1972 (12 losses, 3 ties)
14 -February 13, 1990 –March 15, 1990 (11 losses, 3 ties)
12- December 27, 1972- January 16, 1973 (12 losses)
12- February 24, 1974- March 17, 1974 (11 losses, 1 tie; includes 10 straight
losses Feb 28 – Mar 17)
12 -November 22, 1988-December 15, 1988 (12 losses – 8 under Simpson, 4 under
Arbour)
12- February 24, 1974- March 17, 1974 (11 losses, 1 tie; includes 10 straight
losses Feb 28 – Mar 17)
12 -November 22, 1988-December 15, 1988 (12 losses – 8 under Simpson, 4 under
Arbour)
11- March 16, 1996- April 5, 1996 (11 losses)
11 -December 22, 1997- January 12, 1998 (10 losses, 1 tie; includes 10 straight
losses Dec 22 –Jan 10)
11 -December 28, 1998-January 20, 1999 (10 losses, 1 tie)
11 -October 23, 2010 – CURRENT (10 losses, 1 SO loss)
"The Skinny"
By Eric Hornick
Game 18
Tampa Bay 4, Isles 2
Steven Stamkos scored a power play goal at 19:59.7 of the first period to break a scoreless tie and Marty St. Louis scored a goal and added two assists as Tampa Bay spoiled Jack Capuano's coaching debut, defeating the Islanders 4-2, before 8,025 at Nassau Coliseum. The loss extends the Islanders winless streak to 11 games (0-10-1).
Nearly a Scoreless First
The first period of the Capuano era was scoreless when late in the session Josh Bailey took a slashing penalty. Stamkos, who has scored more goals (83) than anyone in the NHL since February, 2009 made the Isles pay with a power play tally just before the horn. It was the 3,600th goal in Lightning history. The Isles have not won a game this season when they allowed the first goal (0-10-2) or trailed after one period (0-9-1). Tampa outshot the Isles 19-11 in the session; it was the most shots allowed by the Isles in an opening period this season.
Even Second
Tampa took a 2-0 lead on a power play tally by Brett Clark, as the Lightning defender deflected in St. Louis' shot. It was the 700th career point for St. Louis. Stamkos also assisted on the goal, giving him 30 points (15 on the power play) – both totals lead the NHL. The Isles got on the board off a nice passing play between Matt Moulson and Zenon Konopka. Moulson converted the pass for his 7th goal of the season; Konopka earned his first point as an Islander.
A Tight Third
Tampa carried the 2-1 lead into the final two minutes, when St. Louis's topside blast at 18:31 appeared to settle matters. John Tavares had other ideas, scoring with Roloson on the bench to match Moulson for the club goal scoring lead. The Isles pressured for the tying goal, but Nate Thompson hit the empty net for his second goal in four career games against the Isles. 4-2 Final. Zenon Konopka was assessed a misconduct following the empty-netter; he now has 94 penalty minutes on the season – 30 more than any other player in the NHL.
Home and Road
The Lightning improve to 9-7-2, 5-5-1 on the road as they break a three-game losing streak and win for just the second time in their last eight games (2-5-1). The Isles are 4-11-3, 2-3-1 at the Coliseum.
Still Streaking
The Isles are now winless in 11 straight for the first time since the final 11 games that Mike Milbury coached in the 1998-99. Milbury replaced himself with Bill Stewart on January 21, 1999 and Stewart defeated the Penguins that night to break the streak.
Talented Twosome
Stamkos and St. Louis each extended their point scoring streaks to six games. Stamkos has ten points (6-4-10) and St. Louis has nine (3-6-9) in that stretch. They have combined for 52 points on the season, most for any pair of teammates in the NHL this year.
Hard Hitter
Matt Martin was credited with 7 hits, raising his team-leading total to 57. Jon Sim, who had five goals in two games for Capuano in Bridgeport earlier this month, had four shots on goal.
Lots of Ice
Radek Martinek played a season-high 25:34, while Matt Moulson led the forwards with a season-high 22:09. It marked Martinek's most ice-time since October 21, 2009 (26:06) and Moulson's highest total since last season's finale.
Unbalanced Schedule
This is the latest in Islander history that they played their 6th home game by both number of games and the calendar. In 15 seasons, including last year, they played at least six home games in October. The previous latest date was November 7th, which they did both in 1992 and 2000; in 1992-93 they played their sixth home game in their 15th overall game.
In the Nets
Dwayne Roloson, playing for the sixth straight game, finished with 36 saves. His record falls to 2-8-1. The Isles allowed a season-high 40 shots.
Dan Ellis made 34 saves for the Lightning to improve to 5-4-2.
Power Plays
The Isles had 13 shots, but failed to connect on four power plays; The Lightning were 2-4. The Isles' power play is 0-16 in the last four games, while the penalty killers allowed two goals for only the third time this season.
Two Not Enough
The Isles have scored only ten goals in the last nine games. It's the fewest goals that the Isles have scored in a nine-game stretch since the inaugural 1972-73 season. Tavares' goal allowed the Isles to avoid setting a club record; it was the first time in six games that they scored twice.
In the Circle
There were 59 draws, and the Isles won 28 of them (67%). Josh Bailey (6-3) and Zenon Kenopka (9-5) were the Isles' best face-off men.
Home Stretch
This was the first game in a 14 game stretch in which the Islanders will play ten times at home and only four times on the road. The Isles have only three road games out of the metro-area between now and New Year's Eve, and do not play consecutive road games in that stretch.
Missing Men
Mark Streit, Kyle Okposo and Andrew MacDonald remain out for extended periods while Milan Jurcina is out with a hamstring injury. With Jack Hillen diagnosed with a concussion, Dylan Reese made his season debut. Rob Schremp and Trevor Gillies were the healthy scratches.
Missing Mac
The Isles are 0-10-1 in the eleven games Andrew MacDonald has missed.
3 or Less
The Isles have been held to three goals or fewer in 13 straight games (2-10-1) since tallying five against Colorado on October 16. It's the longest that the team has gone without scoring four goals since a 14-game stretch last December 5th-31st.
Season Series Stats
The season series is even at a game each, with Tampa Bay leading in points, 3-2. The Lightning return to the Coliseum on December 22.
Happy Anniversary
26 years ago today (November 17, 1984): The Islanders score at least ten goals for the 9th time in their history, defeating the Rangers 10-4 at the Coliseum. Mike Bossy had a hat trick and Bryan Trottier added four assists. This is the most recent game that the Isles scored ten goals; they have scored nine times on eight occasions since.
The Isles also had a big offensive night on this day in 1993, defeating Ottawa 8-1 in their second-ever visit to the Canadian capital.
Up Next
Saturday, November 20th- Florida @ Islanders 7:00pm
[MSG+2 (Subway Islanders Game Night at 6:30), WRHU 88.7FM]
The Isles will look to break their 11-game winless streak (0-10-1) against the team that started it, when they host the Panthers on Saturday night. John Tavares recorded his first NHL hat trick in the first meeting between the clubs, but the Panthers defeated the Islanders 4-3. Florida has won five of the last six meetings between the squads, with each team owning a shootout victory.
The Isles will look to break their 11-game winless streak (0-10-1) against the team that started it, when they host the Panthers on Saturday night. John Tavares recorded his first NHL hat trick in the first meeting between the clubs, but the Panthers defeated the Islanders 4-3. Florida has won five of the last six meetings between the squads, with each team owning a shootout victory.
Eric Hornick has been the statistician on Islander home game telecasts since 1982. Information contained in "The Skinny" has been gathered from various sources.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
MSG+2 HD!
MSG2 and MSG+2 games are coming to HD on Cablevision.
iO Sports HD will launch in the Family Package on channel 414 for customers with HD digital cable boxes, and channel 773 for CableCard customers.
From a regulatory filing in Connecticut:
<<Effective Thursday, November 18, 2010, Cablevision will launch a High Definition version of iO Sports in the Cablevision of Connecticut and Cablevision of Southern Connecticut portions of our cable system. iO Sports HD will launch in the Family Package on channel 414 for customers with HD digital cable boxes, and channel 773 for CableCard customers.>>
I assume the NY systems will also be getting it shortly.
The Isles' next game on MSG+2 is on Saturday.
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
iO Sports HD will launch in the Family Package on channel 414 for customers with HD digital cable boxes, and channel 773 for CableCard customers.
From a regulatory filing in Connecticut:
<<Effective Thursday, November 18, 2010, Cablevision will launch a High Definition version of iO Sports in the Cablevision of Connecticut and Cablevision of Southern Connecticut portions of our cable system. iO Sports HD will launch in the Family Package on channel 414 for customers with HD digital cable boxes, and channel 773 for CableCard customers.>>
I assume the NY systems will also be getting it shortly.
The Isles' next game on MSG+2 is on Saturday.
Gordon by the Numbers
Scott Gordon, replaced as Islander coach on Monday, finishes his coaching career with the Islanders with a record of 64-94-23.
His 181 games coached rank 4th in Islander history (Arbour 1500, Milbury 192, Simpson 187)
His 64 wins ranks 4th (Arbour 740, Simpson 81, Laviolette 77)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Coach Cap
Jack Capuano will assume the role behind the Islanders bench on Wednesday.
It is the 18th new coaching assignment for the Islanders (Arbour, Milbury and Henning each had two stints; I'm not counting Arbour's 1-game cameo in 2007).
The Isles are 6-9-2 in their first game for a new coach. This is the 8th time that the Isles have made an in-season change, and the Isles are 4-3-0 in the first game after the previous 7 changes (including 3 straight wins).
Earl Ingarfeld 1/31/1973 L 5-3 @ Toronto (replaced Phil Goyette)
Al Arbour II 12/9/1989 L 6-5 @ New Jersey (replaced Terry Simpson)
Rick Bowness 1/24/1997 W 5-2 @ Hartford (replaced Mike Milbury)
Mike Milbury II 3/12/1998 L 2-1 Washington (replaced Rick Bowness)
Bill Stewart 1/21/1999 W 5-2 @ Pittsburgh (replaced Mike Milbury)
Lorne Henning II 3/4/2001 W 5-2 @ New York Rangers (replaced Butch Goring)
Brad Shaw 1/12/2006 W 3-2 Vs. Calgary (replaced Steve Stirling)
Jack Capuano 11/17/2010 Tampa Bay (replaced Scott Gordon)
It is the 18th new coaching assignment for the Islanders (Arbour, Milbury and Henning each had two stints; I'm not counting Arbour's 1-game cameo in 2007).
The Isles are 6-9-2 in their first game for a new coach. This is the 8th time that the Isles have made an in-season change, and the Isles are 4-3-0 in the first game after the previous 7 changes (including 3 straight wins).
Earl Ingarfeld 1/31/1973 L 5-3 @ Toronto (replaced Phil Goyette)
Al Arbour II 12/9/1989 L 6-5 @ New Jersey (replaced Terry Simpson)
Rick Bowness 1/24/1997 W 5-2 @ Hartford (replaced Mike Milbury)
Mike Milbury II 3/12/1998 L 2-1 Washington (replaced Rick Bowness)
Bill Stewart 1/21/1999 W 5-2 @ Pittsburgh (replaced Mike Milbury)
Lorne Henning II 3/4/2001 W 5-2 @ New York Rangers (replaced Butch Goring)
Brad Shaw 1/12/2006 W 3-2 Vs. Calgary (replaced Steve Stirling)
Jack Capuano 11/17/2010 Tampa Bay (replaced Scott Gordon)
Gordon, like most of the seven before him, lost his final game as coach. Overall, Isles coaches are 1-6-1 in their last game before an in-season change. The one win was from Mike Milbury's first stint, when he replaced himself after an 8-1 win over Edmonton.
Capuano will become the third Islander coach to debut against Tampa Bay:
| Butch Goring | 10/2/1999 | L 4-2 @ Tampa Bay | |
| Peter Laviolette | 10/5/2001 | W 3-2 @ Tampa Bay |
The change, only 17 games into the season, is the earliest coaching change in a season in Islander history. Terry Simpson was 7-18-2 when he was replaced by Al Arbour in 1989. Like Gordon (0-9-1 in his final 10 games), the Isles were in the midst of a long winless streak when Simpson was fired, having lost his last 8 games and 11 of his last 12.
Capuano will attempt to become a trend-breaker. The Isles have never made the playoffs during a season which they made a coaching change.
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
Winless/losing streaks Clarified
Before today's news broke, a got a note from Chris King clarifying/correcting my
winless/losing streak note of last evening.
winless/losing streak note of last evening.
According to the NHL, the Isles do not have a 10 game losing streak. The NHL
apparently changed how they recognized these streaks last season. The "loser"
point in San Jose ended the losing (aka "pointless") streak. As such, the list
of longest losing streaks that I posted last night is tecnhically incorrect.
Either way, the Isles will sport a 10 game winless streak (0-9-1) and a 1 game
losing streak when Interim Head Coach Jack Capuano leads the Islanders
against Tampa on Wednesday.
SO... for the record,
This is the 12th time in Islander history that they have gone at least 10
without a win (including two multi-season streaks). They need a win on Wednesday
to avoid their first 11-game winless streak of the 21st Century. Their last 11
game winless streak was the last games Mike Milbury coached for the Islanders.
Bill Stewart repalced Milbury on January 21, 1999 and defeated Pittsburgh 5-2 to
break that streak. Capuano will have the opportunity to break the 10-game
winless streak on Wednesday.
Isles winless streaks of at least 10 games:
15- November 21, 1972-December 20, 1972 (12 losses, 3 ties)
14 -February 13, 1990 –March 15, 1990 (11 losses, 3 ties)
12- December 27, 1972- January 16, 1973 (12 losses)
12- February 24, 1974- March 17, 1974 (11 losses, 1 tie; includes 10 straight
losses Feb 28 – Mar 17)
12 -November 22, 1988-December 15, 1988 (12 losses – 8 under Simpson, 4 under
Arbour)
11- March 16, 1996- April 5, 1996 (11 losses)
11 -December 22, 1997- January 12, 1998 (10 losses, 1 tie; includes 10 straight
losses Dec 22 –Jan 10)
11 -December 28, 1998-January 20, 1999 (10 losses, 1 tie)
10- March 27, 1973-October 25, 1973 (0-2-1 to end 72/73; 0-4-3 to open 73/74)
10 -December 4, 2008- December 23, 2008 (9 losses, 1 OT loss)
10 -April 7, 2009 – October 17, 2009 ( 4 losses to end 08/09; 0-3-3 to open
09/10)
10 -October 23, 2010 – CURRENT (9 losses, 1 SO loss -- 10 under Gordon, 0 under
Capuano))
Islander Losing Streaks of at least 10 games
12- December 27, 1972- January 16, 1973 (12 losses)
12 -November 22, 1988-December 15, 1988 (12 losses – 8 under Simpson, 4 under
Arbour)
11- March 16, 1996- April 5, 1996 (11 losses)
10- February 28, 1974- March 17, 1974 (10 losses)
10 -December 22, 1997- January 10, 1998 (10 losses)
I'll have more numbers on the coaching change tonight.
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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