Leftover Skinny

A few leftovers from the Islanders' win in Carolina on Tuesday night.

Empty Nets:  The Islanders scored two empty net goals in the same game for the first time since a 5-2 win over the Rangers on February 13, 1993.  (They last gave up 2 EN goals in the same game on December 9, 2010 vs. Boston.)  (Thanks to MSG's Matt Borzello)

Tavares now has five career 4-point games.  Matt Moulson, who had a 4-goal game in Dallas in December, is the only other Islander to have a 4-point game in that span.  Since the lockout, the Isles have had 16 four point games.  Besides Tavares, Jason Blake and Alexei Yashin (who each have two) are the only Isles to have more than one in that span.  Since Tavares entered the NHL, only four players have more 4-pt games than Tavares:  Getzlaf (8), Crosby (7), Backstrom (6), Spezza (6).

From Elias:

John Tavares recorded two goals and two assists to lead the Islanders to a 5-2 win over the Hurricanes. Tavares led all NHL players with 22 points in January (9 goals, 13 assists in 13 games). He was the first Islanders player to lead the league in points over a full calendar month of games (i.e., excluding April and any other "short" months) since Bryan Trottier in November 1980 (28 points). Tavares's 22 points in January were the most by an Islanders player in any calendar month since Pierre Turgeon tallied 23 points in March 1994.

Putting Elias' numbers in perspective:

• When Trottier had his 28 point month, the Isles scored 74 goals.  (point on 37.8% of goals)
• When Turgeon had his 23 point month, the Isles scored 43 goals. (point on 53.5% of goals)
• Tavares' 22 points came in a month the Isles scored 35 goals -- 62.9% 

Tavares was named the NHL's First Star for the month of January.  He is the first Islander to be so honored since the NHL introduced the Three Stars of the Month for the 2006-07 season. (The NHL recognized an offensive/defensive player of the week in 2005-06.)  The only other Islander to ever claim a star of the month was Rick DiPietro, who was the 2nd star in February 2007 -- weeks before he collided with Steve Begin in the face-off circle in Montreal.

 

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