The Silver Skinny
On the Streaking Islanders
By Eric Hornick, FSNY
The Isles are 11-4-3 for 25 points in last 18 games; this is
their most points in an eighteen game stretch since they went
12-4-0-2 in a similar stretch in December 2001/January 2002.
The Isles are also 8-3-1 in their last twelve games.
If the Islanders win tonight
Theyll have earned 27 points in a nineteen game stretch for the
first time since the 1989-90 season (they had several
overlapping stretches of 31 points in nineteen games that
season)
If the Islanders lose in overtime or in a shootout tonight
Theyll have 26 points in a nineteen game stretch last done
under Laviolette in 2001-02 and again in 2002-03.
The Islanders begin the day with a share of first place in the
Atlantic. Its the latest that this has happened in a season
since the morning of December 23, 2001.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division W-L-T-OL Pts GF GA
NY Rangers 19-14-3-2 43 108 106
NY Islanders 18-10-5-2 43 97 86
Philadelphia 18-10-5-1 42 100 74
New Jersey 14-13-5-2 35 79 85
Pittsburgh 14-15-5-2 35 81 99
The Rangers beat Ottawa on 12/23/01 to take the Division lead to
the Christmas break
and while the Isles would finish the season
only two points out of first place, they never again shared the
lead.
If the Isles end today in sole possession of first place, it
would mark the first time that this has happened since the night
of December 14, 2001.
The Isles are 6-3-1 in November. If they earn one more point
this month, they will have consecutive winning Novembers for the
first time since 1983-1986 [4 straight]. The Isles went 7-6-1
last November and havent won more than seven November games
since 1987.
Believe it or notthe Isles have already wrapped up a second
consecutive winning November on the road [5-3-0 last year and
4-1-1 with one game to play this year]. Its only the second
time in Islander history that theyve had winning records on the
road in consecutive Novembers Al Arbour never did it, but
Terry Simpson did going 4-2-0 in 1986 and 3-2-0 in 1987.