Stat Trick: Isles 4, Tampa 3 (OT)

1. Trent Hunter's two goals, including the OT winner, give him 4 in the season's first 4 games -- 1/3 of last season's total of 12. He had four goals in October and November combined last season. It's the 10th two-goal game of his career; he's never had a hat trick and the third time that he's scored in overtime: (2/27/07-Philly and 2/28/08-Atlanta)

2. The Isles had never scored in OT in Tampa before last season (Mike Sillinger on 12/8/07) but have now done so twice in their last three trip to the west coast of Florida.

3. Franz Nielsen's assist on the winning goal was his second of the night (and of the season). It's the first two-assist game of his career; he had a 1-goal, 1-assist game against Montreal in 2007. Nielsen has played at least 14:52 in all four games this season -- the 4 highest ice-times of his NHL career.

and a few more:

4. 10 of the 11 Isles' goals this season have been scored by players 27 or older. (Bergenheim has the 11th goal; he's 24).

5. The Isles have opened 1-1 on the road in 4 of the last 5 seasons. (They opened 0-3 under Nolan two years ago.)

6. Isles will have a chance to sweep a trip to the state of Florida on Saturday when the meet the Panthers in Sunrise. The Isles have swept a 2-game trip to Florida only once in their history -- the first two games of the Laviolette era.

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.