Stat Trick -- Bill Guerin edition

1. Bill Guerin's hat trick, the ninth of his career, is the Islanders first-ever at the Verizon Center. Derek King had the Isles' last hat trick in Landover--on New Year's Day, 1992.

2. Guerin's hat trick is the first by an Islander captain since Patrick Flatley had a hat trick against San Jose on February 1, 1994. (Yashin had two hat tricks as an Isle, but both came before he was named captain.)

3. Guerin is the first Islander to collect his first three goals as an Islander all in one game since Pat LaFontaine recorded a hat trick in his second professional game, an 11-6 blowout of the Leafs on March 3, 1984.

and one more:

4. Guerin turned his trick in his 7th game as an Isle - fewer games than anyone since LaFontaine. It's the second straight season that the Isles had a player in his first season with the team record a hat trick - Viktor Kozlov did so last December at MSG, scoring four time.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of FSN statistician Eric Hornick. Eric, who has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, celebrated 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 2,920 Fellows of the Casualty Actuarial Society and is the President 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