Stat Trick: Boston 3, Isles 2

Perhaps if the Isles had played the first period liked they played the last two the result would have been different.  After being outshot 16-4 in the first 20 minutes, the Isles outshot the Bruins 35-18 over the final 40 minutes, but fell a goal shy, and lost to Boston 3-2.  On to the trick:

1.  The first period was all Boston.  Milan Lucic scored the session's only goal, with 1:34 to play. The Isles have allowed the first goal in four straight games, amd they have been badly outplayed in the first period of their last two home games (38-13 combined).

2. Josh Bailey tied the game early in the second period with a power play goal. It was his 14th goal of the season (one more than Kyle Okposo, despite playing six fewer games), and was set-up by Mark Streit's 200th NHL point. The deadlock lasted only 2:46 until David Krejci scored.  Marc Savard added a powerplay tally off a bad bounce to give the Bruins a 3-1 advantage after two periods.

3.Matt Moulson extended his point streak to five games, when he scored the only goal of the third period, just 5:43 into the session.  It was his 23rd goal of the season and fourth against the Bruins.  Bill Guerin had 23 goals two seasons ago; no Isle has had more since four players had at least 25 in 2006-07.

...a few more...

4.  Dwayne Roloson who was pulled after allowing fou goals on seven shots Thursday, made 31 saves for the Isles.  Tim Thomas, playing consecutive Bruin games for the first time since January 30/February 2, made 37 saves for Boston, including 21 in the second period.  He is now 8-4-1 in career against the Isles.
 
5. Michael Ryder was ejected after checking Blake Comeau from behind.  The Isles had six shots on goal on the ensuing major power play but failed to score.  Ryder received 15 penalty minutes on the play, one fewer than he had in 62 prior games this season.
 
6.  Each team went 1-2 on the power play.  The Isles have allowed five goals their last ten times short.  The Bruin power play goal was their only pp goal in 14 chances against the Isles this season.

7. There were only eight face-offs in the third period (including one to start the period, and one after Moulson's goal).  The Isles won five of them, but Boston won 30 of 46 overall.  Rob Schremp had a rough afternoon in the circle, dropping 12 of 15.
 
8. The Isles are now 3-11-0 in their last 14 games.  John Tavares does not have a goal in this stretch, having now gone 17 games without a goal. The Isles have been a streaky team all season as they opened 0-3-3 and had a 2-7-0 stretch in December.  They have also had stretches of 5-1-2 in October/November and 10-3-1 in the fourteen games immediately prior to the current stretch.
 
9. Sean Bergenheim returned to the Isles' lineup but was held without a point for the 15th straight game.
 
10. The season series ends deadlocked, with each team winning once in regulation and once in extra time. Marc Savard had the shootout winner in Boston's other win other the Isles this season.  He has scored the winning goal or the shoot-out winner in each of Boston's last four wins over the Isles.

Up Next:  The Isles head to Philadelphia to face the Flyers in a nationally-televised game on Tuesday (Versus/ 7:00pm).  Doc Emrick will join Billy Jaffe in the booth for this one.  The Isles will bring four long, nasty streaks into Philadelphia:
 
1. The Isles have 0-7-0 on the road in the last two months, since winning in a shootout in Phoenix on January 9. (The Isles are 9-18-6 on the road this season; only four of the wins have been in regulation.)
2.  The Isles have dropped 14 straight games to the Flyers (0-11-3, including once in overtime and twice in a shootout) since a 4-3 Coliseum win for Rick DiPietro on February 12, 2008.
3.  The Isles have lost nine straight games in Philadelphia (0-8-1, including an overtime loss on October 30, 2008) since a 4-2 win in Philadephia on April 7, 2007. That 2007 win came in game 81; the Isles qualified for the playoffs with a shootout victory over New Jersey the following day.
4.  The Isles have not won a divisional road game under Scott Gordon any place but Madison Square Garden. They are 3-16-1 in divisional road games over the past two seasons (0-5-0 in both New Jersey and Pittsburgh, 0-4-1 in Philadelphia and 3-2-0 in New York)

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick