What? A week off?

This bizarre schedule to start the season continues with the Isles now having an entire week off before hosting Carolina on Saturday night. It's not the longest in-season break the Isles have ever had, but it is one of the longest, particularly after you discount All-Star breaks, Olympics, Challnege Cups, and the 1992 mini-strike.

In 1999, the Isles opened the season in Tampa on October 2 and then didn't play again until hosting Colorado on October 10.

The longest break was over Christmas 1975, when the Isles went 9 days between games.

The Hurricanes btw will play three other games in the interim (Mon-Vancouver, Wed- Buffalo, Fri - Montreal, all at home) before journeying to Long Island.

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