Pre-Game Skinny

...including a couple of things I missed last night.

Michael Grabner's EN goal gave him 100 NHL points.  He is 62-38-100 in his NHL career (57-32-89 with Isles).  Grabner is the ONLY ACTIVE player in the NHL (minimum 50 goals) to have at least 60% of his points come from goals.

Grabner and Matt Moulson currently share an unusual club record -- largest career goals/assists differential:

(as an Islander)            Diff.

Matt Moulson 99- 74      25
Michael Grabner 57- 32  25
Mark Parrish 118- 96      22
Mike Bossy* 573- 553    20
Randy Wood 94- 78       16

Tonight's game in Boston features two players who tore up the Swiss League:
Tavares was 17-25-42 in 28 games
Seguin was 25-15-40 in 29 games

Seguin is still tied for the Swiss League in goals (with Detroit rookie Damien Brunner)

It is well known that Rick DIPietro loves to face the Bruins as we will do tonight; in recent years the feeling has been mutual.  DiPietro is 0-5-0 in his last 5 starts against Boston (3.74 GAA).  He last faced Boston on Ed Westfall night (11/19/11) and was pulled after allowing 3 1st period goals.  DiPietro has also lost his last 4 starts IN Boston and is 0-4-1 in Beantown since defeating the Bruins 5-4 in a shootout on a memorable Jason Blake Goal (1/11/07).  Among the Bruins that DiPietro stopped in that shootout: Brad Boyes.

Elias' morning notes included two notes that I had in The Skinny last night:

<<The Islanders posted a 7-4 win at Toronto after trailing by two goals
(3-1) in the middle of the second period. It was the first time that the Islanders scored as many as seven goals in a non-overtime road game
since they won 7-4 against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Dec.
3, 2006. (They scored seven goals in an overtime win at Buffalo on Feb.
13, 2011.)>>

...and one I didn't:
<<The Islanders' victory on Thursday marked the first time that they won a road game by a two or more goal margin after trailing by two goals in
that game since Feb. 13, 2004, when they spotted the Coyotes a 2-0 lead
but won, 5-2.>>

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