Stat Trick: Isles 4, Flyers 3

Happy New Year! The Isles finally have a 2008 home win (and only their fifth in 19 games in 2008 overall)

1.Tonight's win broke several long and nasty streaks:
0-6-1 in their last 7
0-5-2 in their last 7 at home
0-3 vs Flyers.
0 home wins in club record-tying 45 days.
0 leads at home in previous four games.

2. With the Flyers' late tally, the Isles have allowed at least three goals in 11 straight games, matching a simlar stretch suffered under Peter Laviolette Oct./Nov 2002. The Isles haven't allowed at least three goals in 12 straight games since a 13-game stretch in January/ February 1996.

3. Sean Bergenheim has goals in consecutive games for the first time in his NHL career, and now has 4 goals in his last 9 games.

and a few more...

4. Trent Hunter tied a career high by recording his 6th three-point game.

5. Rick DiPietro beat Bill Guerin to 20. DiPietro recorded his 20th win of the season, stopping a personal 0-6-2 streak. DiPietro now has four consecutive 20-win seasons, one shy of Chico Resch's club record (5). Guerin still has 19 goals -- he will become the 2nd player in NHL history, joining Ray Sheppard, to record 20 goals with six different teams, with his next tally.

6. 2008 wins by broadcaster: Howie 2, Jiggs 2, Joe Beninati (who did tonight's game on Versus) 1. Beninati is scheduled to do the Isles-Penguins game on March 24 -- hopefully he won't have a chance to tie for the lead (unless of course you're rooting for the first overall pick!)

7. Jeff Tambellini recorded his first NHL goal of the season -- it's the fourth career goal in 60 games for Tambellini.

8. Richard Park went 12-2 on draws as Isles compiled a huge 36-17 advantage. Daniel Briere had a power play goal for Philly, but lost 11 of 12 draws, and was -2. Briere is now MINUS TWENTY on the season.

9. With Witt missing the last two periods, Andy Sutton played 25:40 -- his second largest ice time of the season. Witt and Freddy Meyer were the only Isles without a shot-on-goal as the Isles poured on a season-high 47. Six different players had at least four shots.

10. Josef Vasicek had two assists, giving him five points in the four games against the Flyers this season. He had only 4 points in 18 games against the Isles prior to this season.

11. RJ Umberger was at it again, contributing an assist against the Isles. He had 15 points in 19 games against the Isles this season.

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.