Re-writing the record book -- Stat Trick -- Isles 4, Atlanta 1

Every once in a while, you have a night that just plays havoc with the record book. Tonight was that night.

1. The Isles allowed only 10 shots, breaking the club record of 11 set on 3-3-77 vs Detroit ( the 10 shots is also the fewest Atlanta has ever had)

2. The Isles had 49 shots themselves. The +39 shot differential (49-10) breaks the club record of 38, set on 2-22-77 vs Colorado (51-13).

3. Rick DiPietro recorded his fifth assist of the season -- breaking a tie with Chris Osgood's club record set in 2001-02.

4. DiPietro recorded his 12th career assist, tying Billy Smith's club record for assists by a goalie. Of course, DiPietro has played only 257 games, to Smith's 675.

....and a few others

5. By holding Atlanta to 1 goal, the Isles ended a streak of allowing at least three goals in 12 straight games. It's their longest stretch of allowing at least three goals since a 13-game stretch in January/ February 1996.

6. The Isles have scored thirteen goals in the last three games and sixteen goals in the last four games -- both are season highs.

7. The game marked the return of the Chili promotion, sponsored by Wendy's. Times sure have changed-- in the late 70's/early 80's, the Isles needed 6 goals for Chili. Now the Isles need only three. According to the team, "Fans can get a free bowl of chili at Wendy's the day after the Islanders score three or more goals. All fans have to do is go to a Long Island Wendy's tomorrow and say "I want my free chili. Let's go Islanders!""

8. The Isles had thier first major power play of the season when Garrett Exelby speared and then attacked Blake Comeau. It will be interesting to see if there will be any further discipline from the NHL. The Isles have had to kill only one 5-minute penalty all season; it was caused by Chris Simon's stomp.

9. Through two periods and a good part of the third, Trent Hunter had outshot the entire Thrasher team, 7-6. Atlanta went about 25 1/2 minutes without a shot from early in the 2nd period to midway through the third. Every Islander but Richard Park had at least one shot.

10. Bobby Holik was on ice for all three Islander even strength goals.

11. The last five games between the squads on Long Island have all been lopsided. The Isles have won three of them, and the Thrashers 2. All five games were decided by at least three goals.

12. The Isles have won three straight for the first time since late December and DiPietro has won three straight for the first time since a four game streak last February. The Isles have scored first in all three games, and are now 20-3-4 when scoring first.

13. The Isles have outshot their last two Coliseum visitors by a ridiculous count of 96-39.

14. Sean Bergenheim has three goals in the last four games and five goals in the last 11 games.

15. Ruslan Fedotenko has four goals in the last three games and five goals in the last five games.

16. Josef Vasicek has five asssts in the last three games.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.