Some interesting numbers on the decline of fighting in the NHL

Puck Daddy has an interesting blog note on the decline of fighting:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/why-fighting-decline-nhl-season-150335981.html

Here's a few extra Isles-centric notes.
 
The Islanders, without Konopka, have certainly been a large part of the decline.  The Isles as a team have only 394 penalty minutes in 40 games -- an average of 9.8 pen minutes per game.  The Isles have never averaged fewer than 11.3 pen mins, which they did in 1972-73 and again in 2009-10.

Of the 162 penalties the Isles have taken this season, only 12 have been for fighting.  Matt Martin has been in six bouts, Micheal Haley and Travis Hamonic two each, Mike Mottau and Steve Staios one each.  (Konopka leads the NHL -- he has had 12 himself.)

5 of the 12 have come in division games (mainly against the Rangers), five others have come in conference (not divisional) games, and two have come against the West -- both against Colorado in a game the Isles blew a 3-0 lead and lost in overtime.

The Isles have won only one game all season when there has been a fight (in Buffalo).  The Isles 1-8-1 in games with a fight, which includes two games (0-1-1) that have had two altercations.  The Isles are 14-11-5 in games without a fighting major.

The Isles enter the game with Philadelphia tonight with a league-low 129 power-play attempts.  However they have been shorthanded only 127 times; only San Jose has been shorthanded less often.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick