"The Skinny"
By Eric Hornick
Game 36
Isles 6, Winnipeg 2
In their final game of 2016, the Isles scored twice in each period and defeated the Winnipeg Jets 6-2 before a sellout crowd of 15,294 at MTS Centre.
The Isles head into their bye week having won 4 of their last 5, scoring in each of those 15 periods. The Isles have scored at least four goals in each of those five games; it's the first time since November 2009 that they have done so.
The Isles scored multiple goals in each period of a road game for the first time since a 6-2 win in Washington on March 3, 2007.
The Scoring:
1ST PERIOD
06:54 New York Nikolay Kulemin (5) 1-0
12:25 New York John Tavares (11) ASST: Josh Bailey (18) 2-0
2ND PERIOD
02:26 New York Shane Prince (5) ASST: Ryan Strome (7), Brock Nelson (13) 3-0
14:13 New York Ryan Strome (6) ASST: Johnny Boychuk (8) 4-0
19:30 Winnipeg SHG - Shawn Matthias (4) ASST: Jacob Trouba (9), Adam Lowry (4) 4-1
3RD PERIOD
08:38 New York Anders Lee (14) ASST: Josh Bailey (19), John Tavares (16) 5-1
10:18 New York PPG - Andrew Ladd (8) ASST: Brock Nelson (14), Cal Clutterbuck (11) 6-1
16:55 Winnipeg PPG - Nikolaj Ehlers (10) ASST: Patrik Laine (12), Mark Scheifele (18) 6-2
The Skinny:
The Isles scored the first goal for the 14th time in the last 17 games and have outscored the opposition 6-1 in the first periods of the last four games … Andrew Ladd extended his point streak to four games with a third period goal… The Isles have scored 55 goals in the last 16 games (3.43 per game) after scoring only 48 goals in the first 20 games (2.40 per game) ... The Isles finish December with a 7-5-2 record; they are 9-5-2 in the last 16 games… The Isles got goals from six different players…Dennis Seidenberg and Calvin deHaan were both +3 …The Isles have scored at least 6 goals 35 times since 2006 and won them all (35-0-0).… The Isles road power play improves to 9-40 (22.5%)…Nikolaj Ehlers scored in the third period; he leads the NHL with 9 goals in the third period…The Jets finish December 6-7-1; their first sub-.500 December since moving to Manitoba…Shawn Matthias' goal was the third shorthanded goal allowed by the Isles this season.
Everybody's Hot
The Isles end 2016 with several players riding hot streaks:
· Denis Seidenberg is +8 in the last 5
· Shane Prince is 1-2-3 in the last 4
· Josh Bailey has 7 assists in the last 6
· Cal Clutterbuck is 1-2-3 in the last 4
· Andrew Ladd is 4-1-5 in the last 4
· Ryan Strome is 4-3-7 in the last 8
· Anders Lee is 5-1-6 in the last 7 and has 13 goals in the last 18
· Brock Nelson is 2-2-4 in the last 2
· Nikolay Kulemin 3-3-6 in the last 9
· John Tavares is 2-2-4 in the last 4
· Thomas Greiss has won 3 straight (1.67 GAA) and is 6-1-0 in the last 7 (2.29 GAA)
It's Just Another New Year's Eve
The Isles improve to 10-0-1 in their last 11 games played on December 31st. Overall the Isles are 16-7-1 on December 31st, going 4-1-0 at home and 12-6-1 on the road. Other than 12/31/12 (lockout), Isles have played on New Year's Eve every year since 12/31/07.
Thomas Greiss improved to 4-0-0 on New Year's Eve (including 2-0-0 as an Islander).
Out with the Old
Here are the calendar 2016 regular season leaders:
Record 39-30-11
Games:
· Josh Bailey 80 (only Islander to play every game)
· Thomas Hickey/John Tavares/Brock Nelson 79
Goals:
· John Tavares 30
· Anders Lee 24
· Brock Nelson 22
Assists:
· John Tavares 39
· Nick Leddy 33
· Josh Bailey 28
Points
· John Tavares 69
· Nick Leddy 43
· Brock Nelson 42
Other leaders:
Power Play goals: Anders Lee 9
Power Play points: John Tavares/Nick Leddy 19
Game Winning goals: Anders Lee 6
Overtime goals: Thomas Hickey/Josh Bailey 2
No Isle had more than 1 SH goal
Goaltending:
Greiss 38 games 21-11-2 .918 2.57 (0 shutouts)
Halak 37 games 14-15-6 .908 2.94 (2 shutouts)
Special Teams
Power Play 38-224 17.0%
Penalty Kill 46-240 80.8%
Milestone Men
Thomas Hickey played in his 300th NHL game, all for the Islanders. He is the 20th defenseman to play 300 games, and the 13th defensemen to play his first 300 games for the Isles.
John Tavares recorded his 280th career assist, breaking a tie with Pat LaFontaine for 11th place in Isles history. Josh Bailey had two assists, giving him 176, as he tied and passed Kenny Jonsson for 20th place in Isles history.
Countdown to 500
John Tavares recorded a goal and an assist. He needs only two points to become the 10th player in Islander history with 500 career points.
Last Minute Heroes
The Isles have scored twice in the final minute of regulation to either tie or win a game:
· 11/25 – SJ Sharks -- Nick Leddy (19:02); tied game, but Isles lost in regulation
· 11/30 – Pit Penguins – Anders Lee (19:33); Game Winning goal
Fit to Be Tied
The Isles have allowed the final goal of regulation in seven of their eight games that have gone to overtime this season, including three in the final minute:
· 10/16 – Ana Ducks – Ryan Getzlaf (19:00); Isles won in OT
· 11/3 – Phi Flyers – Jakob Voracek (19:02/PP); Flyers won in SO
· 11/12 – Fla Panthers – Jonathan Marchessault (19:46); Panthers won in OT
Late Losses
The Isles have been tied in the third period in ten of their 15 regulation losses (and 16 of their 21 overall losses) but have allowed the lead goal in the final 3 minutes of regulation five times:
· 10/18 – SJ Sharks - Joe Pavelski (17:49)
· 10/26 – Mtl Canadiens - Shea Weber (17:03)
· 10/27 – Pit Penguins - Sidney Crosby (17:35)
· 11/23 – LA Kings – Dwight King (17:07)
· 11/25 – SJ Sharks – Patrick Marleau (19:37)
Road Warriors
This was the second game of a stretch in which the Isles will play seven out of eight games on the road:
12/29 @ Wild - Lost 4-6
12/31 @ Jets – Won 6-2
1/6 @Avalanche
1/7 @ Coyotes
1/11 Vs Florida
1/13 @ Panthers
1/14 @ Hurricanes
1/16 @ Bruins
Following this stretch, the Isles will play six straight at home – it will be the final homestand of at least three games this season.
The Shots
Isles 7-10-7=24
Winnipeg 10-13-11=34
The Isles are 7-3-2 when they outshoot their opponents and 1-2-0 when the shots are even but are 7-10-4 when they are outshot.
Home and Road
The Islanders are 15-15-6 overall; 11-7-4 at home and 4-8-2 on the road.
Winnipeg is 17-19-3 overall; 10-8-1 at home and 7-11-2 on the road.
By Division & Conference
The Isles are 4-5-2 in Division games and 11-10-4 in games versus other divisions (3-5-3 vs. Atlantic, 3-2-0 vs. Central and 5-3-1 vs. Pacific). The Isles are 7-10-5 against the East and 8-5-1 against the West.
In the Nets
Thomas Greiss made 22 saves as he improves to 9-5-0 on the season and 4-0-1 in his career against Winnipeg.
Connor Hellebuyck made 11 saves before being replaced after the Isles' 4th goal as he fell to 13-12-1 on the season and 0-1-0 in his career against the Isles. Michael Hutchison stopped 7 of 9 in relief.
Power Plays
The Islanders were 1-2 on the power play (allowing a shorthanded goal) while Winnipeg was 1-3.
The Isles are 6-5-4 when they score at least one power play goal and 9-10-2 when they do not. The Isles are 4-9-4 when they allow at least one power play goal and 11-6-2 when they do not.
Three is a Magic Number
The Isles are 14-3-2 when they score at least three goals (including shootout winners) and are 1-12-4 when they do not.
The Isles are 9-2-0 this season when they score at least four goals.
One Goal Games
The Isles are 6-5-6 in games decided by a single goal including 3-5-0 in regulation. They are 2-4 in games decided in overtime and are 1-2 in shootouts. The Isles are 1-1 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1 goal game into a 2-goal game.
First Goal
The Isles are 11-4-4 when they score first and are 4-11-2 when they allow the opening goal.
Second to The One
Jack Capuano, the 2nd winningest coach in Islander history, is 225-190-62 behind the Islander bench. Among the 9 New York area teams, only the Yankees' Joe Girardi has led his team longer than Capuano.
Most games coached (Islanders):
1. Al Arbour 1,500
2. Jack Capuano 477
3. Mike Milbury 191
4. Terry Simpson 187
5. Scott Gordon 181
Most wins by Islander coaches:
1. Al Arbour 740
2. Jack Capuano 225
3. Terry Simpson 81
4. Peter Laviolette 77
5. Ted Nolan 74
Capuano is 71st in NHL in games coached, three behind both Don Cherry and Bob Johnson. His 225 wins places him 64th all-time, four behind Robbie Ftorek and nine behind Bob Johnson.
Back-to-Backs
The Isles are 2-3-0 on the front-end of back-to-backs and 2-2-1 on the back-end.
The Isles will play 16 sets of back-to-backs this season. The next back-to-back set is on January 6th in Colorado and January 7th in Arizona.
Tired vs. Rested
· The Isles are 1-0-0 when both teams played the night before.
· The Isles are 5-3-2 when they are rested and their opponents are not.
· The Isles are 1-2-1 when their opponents are rested and the Isles are not.
· The Isles are 8-10-3 when both teams are rested.
Ice-time Leaders
Isles: Nick Leddy (21:23); Winnipeg: Toby Enstrom (23:58)
Isles record by ice-time leaders: Travis Hamonic (5-0-0), Nick Leddy (7-11-4), John Tavares (2-1-0), Johnny Boychuk (1-3-1), Dennis Seidenberg (0-0-1)
John Tavares led the Isles forwards with 19:04 of ice-time. Isles record by Forward ice-time leaders: John Tavares (9-9-4), Josh Bailey (4-4-2), Casey Cizikas (1-0-0), Cal Clutterbuck (0-1-0), Brock Nelson (1-1-0)
Face-offs
Isles 31, Winnipeg 31 (50%).
Alan Quine won 7 of 12 for the Isles; Brian Little won 9 of 15 for Winnipeg.
The Isles won 11 of 17 draws in the first period but only 20 of 45 draws in the final two periods.
The Isles won 28 of 53 draws at even strength, 1 of 5 on the power play and 2 of 4 on the penalty kill.
Hit Count
Isles 11 Winnipeg 22. Cal Clutterbuck and Alan Quine led the Isles with two hits; Shawn Matthias had four shots for Winnipeg.
Fights
There were no fights. Season total – 6: (Boychuk 1, deHaan 1, Hamonic 3, Mayfield 1).
Blocked Shots
The Isles were credited with 17 blocked shots, including three from Travis Hamonic and Nick Leddy.
For the Corsi Crowd
All situations: Isles 41, Winnipeg 59
5-on-5 Isles 39, Winnipeg 50
5-on 5 leaders:
Isles: Cal Clutterbuck and Calvin deHaan +9; Cal Clutterbuck 76%
Winnipeg: Jacob Trouba +12
Ironmen
Jason Chimera – 142 (including 106 for the Capitals); Josh Bailey 103
Scratches
Anthony Beauvillier, Stephen Gionta
Total games lost: 61
Missing a Piece (or two)
Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Isles are 19-18-4 in games in which they are missing Johnny Boychuk, Travis Hamonic or Nick Leddy, including 3-1-1 this season.
All-time Islander Leader Boards:
Games Played (skaters)
1. Bryan Trottier 1123 *** 2. Denis Potvin 1060 *** 3. Bob Nystrom 900
….
12. Frans Nielsen 606 *** 13. Kenny Jonsson 597 *** 14. Garry Howatt 596 *** 15. John Tonelli 594 *** 16. Josh Bailey 593 *** 17. Ken Morrow 550 *** 18. Duane Sutter 547 *** 19. John Tavares 546
Goals
1. Mike Bossy 573 *** 2. Bryan Trottier 500 *** 3. Denis Potvin 310
…
7. Bob Bourne 238 *** 8. Bob Nystrom 235 **** 9. John Tavares 218
Assists
1. Bryan Trottier 853 *** 2. Denis Potvin 742 *** 3. Mike Bossy 553
…
9. Bob Bourne 304 *** 10. Derek King 288 *** 11. John Tavares 280
…
18. Pierre Turgeon 193 *** 19. Ed Westfall 181 *** 20. Josh Bailey 176
Points
1. Bryan Trottier 1353 *** 2. Mike Bossy 1126 *** 3. Denis Potvin 1052
…
8. Bob Bourne 542 *** 9. Bobby Nystrom 513 *** 10. Derek King 499 *** 11. John Tavares 498
…
21. Duane Sutter 292 *** 22. Alexei Yashin 290 *** 23. Ed Westfall 286 *** 24 Josh Bailey 274
Season Series Stats
The Isles lead the season series one game to none (and two points to none). The teams will conclude their season series on March 16th in Brooklyn.
The Isles are 7-0-1 in eight trips to Winnipeg since the Thrashers moved to Manitoba for the 2011-12 season. However, five of those eight games have been decided in either overtime or a shootout.
Overall, the Isles are 8-0-2 in their last 10 road games against the Thrashers/Jets and are 10-2-1 in their last 13 games against the Jets.
On The Farm
Bridgeport's 5-game road trip got off to a slow start on Friday with a 6-2 loss in Hershey; the Bears scored four unanswered goals in the third period for the victory. The Sound Tigers, who are 17-13-0-0 on the season, got goals from Scott Mayfield and Steve Bernier.
Bracken Kearns continues to lead the Sound Tigers in scoring (9-14-23); Bernier leads the team in goals with ten. Devon Toews leads the team with 18 assists and is second on the team in points (4-18-22); fellow rookie Eamon McAdam leads the team with 7 wins (7-2-0).
The Sound Tigers play at 3pm on New Year's Day in Albany and then head to Springfield on Wednesday.
Up Next
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6th - ISLANDERS AT COLORADO - 9:00PM
[MSG+2 (Isles pre-game at 8:30), WNYM 970AM, 88.7 WRHU-FM, 103.9 WRCN]
Following five off days for the NHL's "bye week", the Isles will resume play on Friday in Denver against the Avs.
The teams did not play at all in 2016 but will play twice in the first six weeks of 2017. Last season the teams split a pair of games with the home team winning each contest.
The Isles have been outscored 7-1 in their last two visits to Denver and are 2-3-0 in their last five games vs. the Avs.
Eric Hornick has been the statistician on Islander home game telecasts since January 21, 1982. Information contained in "The Skinny" has been gathered from various sources. Follow Eric @ehornick on Twitter & on his blog http://www.nyiskinny.com./
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
