Stat Trick

1. The Isles were short 9 times tonight -- that's 39 times over the last five games. The Isles have had only 24 pp's in those five games and have had 156 pp's on the season--fewest in the NHL.

2. The Isles have opened the season 6-0-0 on the back-end of back-to-backs for the first time in their history (they won the first five in 1978-79). It's the first time that they've won six consecutive back-ends since they won seven straight in 1981:

28-Feb-81 @ Los Angeles 2 1 W
12-Mar-81 @ Edmonton 5 0 W
29-Mar-81 @ Washington 5 4 W
5-Apr-81 @ Buffalo 7 3 W
15-Oct-81 Vs Vancouver 4 1 W
24-Oct-81 Vs Washington 6 4 W
11-Nov-81 @ Toronto 4 3 W
(The club record is 9, set in the 1977-78 and 1978-79 seasons.)

The Isles next back-end is on Wednesday in Ottawa as the Isles will try to beat the Post-Ranger letdown and can't win against Ottawa...at all... jinxes.

3. The Isles (and Rick DiPietro) have a home shutout streak of 125:43 and have recorded consecutive home shutouts for the first time since March 21-23, 2004. DiPietro has three shutouts on the season and nine on his career. He is 19:57 shy of his longest home shutout streak, set in March 2004.

...and oh yes, the Islanders finally best Columbus (but you knew that already)!

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all!

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of FSN statistician Eric Hornick.

Eric, who has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, will celebrate his 25th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2007. Often referred to on-air as an actuary, he is one of 2,890 Fellows of the Casualty Actuarial Society and is the President-Elect of the Casualty Actuaries of Greater NY.

You can find him in the "Best Seat in the House", about six feet to Howie and Billy's left, at most Islander home games.

For more on the actuarial profession, visit www.beanactuary.org