The Skinny: Isles 3, Washington 0

"The Skinny"

 By Eric Hornick

Game 23

Isles 3, Washington 0

Shane Prince broke a scoreless tie early in the third period and the Islander exploded for three goals in 4:28 span as the Islanders defeated the Washington Capitals 3-0 before a sellout crowd of 18,506 at Verizon Center.

Jaroslav Halak made 38 saves to record his 40^th career shutout and 10^th as an Islander as the Isles defeat the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins and President's Trophy Champion Capitals on consecutive nights.

Islander coach Jack Capuano recorded his 219^th career win, tying the legendary Herb Brooks for 65^th place on the all-time NHL list.

The Scoring:

1ST PERIOD

No Scoring

2ND PERIOD

No Scoring

3RD PERIOD

03:15    New York         Shane Prince (4) ASST: Casey Cizikas (6)         1-0

06:43    New York         Brock Nelson (6) ASST: John Tavares (12), Josh Bailey (11)       2-0

07:43    New York         Jason Chimera (3) ASST: Andrew Ladd (3)        3-0

The Skinny

The Isles have scored the first goal in four consecutive games after doing so only five times in the first 19 games…The Isles have won three straight games for the first time this season as they climb within 1 game of NHL-.500 for the first time since November 7^th… The Isles led 3-0 for the second straight night after not doing so in the first 21 games; the Isles have won 22 straight games in which they scored the first three goals…The Isles have been shorthanded 11 times this season vs. Washington, and have killed them all…Jason Chimera scored for the second straight game (all three of his goals have come in wins); Andrew Ladd earned an assist for the second straight game…This was the first Isles game to be scoreless after two periods since December 20, 2014 against Tampa Bay…JF Berube dressed as the back-up goalie for the sixth straight game…Jakub Vrana made his NHL debut for Washington…The Isles finally beat Braden Holtby, stopping Holtby's 13-game point streak (10-0-3) against the Isles.

Happy Birthday to Harrison Chwat and Linda Polaski (?)

Today is Islander fan Hariison Chwat's birthday and long-time fan Dave Polaski's mother's birthday, too.  The Isles celebrated in a way they never have before – with a win. 

This is the second time in Islander history that they have recorded a shutout on December 1^st but the first time that they actually won the game. 16 years ago tonight the Isles and Devils played a scoreless tie in New Jersey.

In fact, this is the first time that the Isles have EVER won on December 1^st:

1-Dec-73	Vs	Philadelphia	1	2	L
1-Dec-83	@	Calgary	2	6	L
1-Dec-88	@	St. Louis	0	8	L
1-Dec-90	Vs	Washington	1	3	L
1-Dec-92	Vs	Pittsburgh	3	7	L
1-Dec-00	@	New Jersey	0	0	T
1-Dec-01	Vs	Buffalo	2	4	L
1-Dec-07	Vs	Atlanta	0	4	L
1-Dec-16	@	Washington	3	0	W

With their win today, it leaves New Year's Day (0-7-0) as the only day between October 4^th and April 18^th (excluding Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – two days that the Isles have never played) without at least one regular season win. 

JAR-O, JAR-O

Jaroslav Halak is the 6^th active goalie with at least 40 career shutouts:

1.      Roberto Luongo 72

2.      Henrik Lundqvist 60

3.      Marc-Andre Fleury 43

4.      Jonathan Quick 42

5.      Pekka Rinne 41

6.      Jaroslav Halak 40

All of the goalies ahead of Halak on this list have started at least 80 more NHL games than Halak.

Halak is also the 5^th goalie in Islander history to record 10 shutouts for the team:

1.      Glenn Resch 25

2.      Billy Smith 22

3.      Rick DiPietro 16

4.      Tommy Salo 14

5.      Jaroslav Halak 10

All of the goalies ahead of Halak on this list have played at least 75 more games for the Isles than Halak.

It's the 3^rd time Halak has stopped at least 38 shots in recording a shutout:

·        40 – 12/19/09 for Montreal, vs. the Isles

·        38 – 1/7/10 for Montreal, vs Florida

·        38 – 12/1/16 for the Isles, vs. Washington

Not Much Time with the Extra Man

The Isles had only 2 power plays; it is the 7^th straight game against Washington that the Isles have had two power plays or fewer, going a combined 1-13.  Washington has had 22 power plays against the Isles in that stretch, but they also have scored only one goal.

Movin' on Up x 3

John Tavares played in his 533^rd Islander game, breaking a tie with Tomas Jonsson for 21^st on the all-time club list. Tavares and Bailey both assisted on Nelson's goal, giving JT 489 points, breaking a tie with Patrick Flatley for 11^th on the all-time club point list while Bailey's assist was his 168^th for the Isles, breaking a deadlock with Jean Potvin for 23^rd on the all-time list.

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 all seven of their 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 six of their 10 regulation losses (and 10 of their 14 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)

Home Til the Holidays

The Isles are early in a stretch where they will play 10 out of 14 at home.  By the time the Isles host Washington on December 27^th, the Isles will have played 22 of their first 34 games at home.

The Isles are 2-0-0 at home and 1-0-0 on the road during this stretch.  The Isles do not play consecutive road games again until after Christmas.

The Shots

Isles                  11-9-9=29

Washington       11-11-16=38

The Isles are 5-3-1 when they outshoot their opponents and 1-1-0 when the shots are even but are 3-6-3 when they are outshot.

Home and Road

The Islanders are 9-10-4 overall; 7-4-3 at home and 2-6-1 on the road. 

Washington is 13-7-2 overall; 8-4-0 at home and 5-3-2 on the road.

By Division & Conference

The Isles are 2-3-2 in Division games and 7-7-2 in games versus other divisions (1-4-1 vs. Atlantic, 1-0-0 vs. Central and 5-3-1 vs. Pacific).   The Isles are 3-7-3 against the East and 6-3-1 against the West.

Last season the Isles went 18-8-4 in Division games and 27-19-6 in games against other divisions. The Isles went 19-7-2 against the Western Conference, including 12-0-2 at home.

In the Nets

Jaroslav Halak made 38 saves to improve to 4-6-4 on the season and 7-6-0 in his career against Washington.  He recorded his 40^th career shutout, 10^th as an Islander, and 1^st against Washington.

Braden Holtby made 26 saves but falls to 10-6-1 on the season and 11-2-3 against the Isles in his career.

Power Plays

The Islanders were 0-2 on the power play, while Washington was 0-6. 

The Isles are 1-4-3 when they score at least one power play goal and 8-6-1 when they do not.  The Isles are 3-5-3 when they allow at least one power play goal and 6-5-0 when they do not. 

Three is a Magic Number

The Isles are 8-1-1 when they score at least three goals (including shootout winners) and are 1-9-3 when they do not.  The Isles were 37-4-2 when they scored at least three goals (including SO winners) last season.

One Goal Games

The Isles are 4-4-3 in games decided by a single goal including 1-4-0 in regulation. They are 2-2 in games decided in overtime and are 1-2 in shootouts.  The Isles are 1-0 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1 goal game into a 2-goal game.

First Goal

The Isles are 6-1-2 when they score first and are 3-9-1 when they allow the opening goal. 

Second to The One

Jack Capuano, the 2^nd winningest coach in Islander history, is 219-185-60 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 464

3.      Mike Milbury 191

4.      Terry Simpson 187

5.      Scott Gordon 181

Most wins by Islander coaches:

1.      Al Arbour 740

2.      Jack Capuano 219

3.      Terry Simpson 81

4.      Peter Laviolette 77

5.      Ted Nolan 74

Capuano is the 75th coach in NHL history to coach at least 450 games. His 219 wins ties him for 65th all-time with Herb Brooks and 2 behind Bob McCammon.

Back-to-Backs

The Isles are 2-2-0 on the front-end of back-to-backs and 2-2-0 on the back-end.  Last season, the Isles went 5-5-5 on the front-end and 9-3-3 on the back end of back-to-backs.  

The Isles will play 16 sets of back-to-backs this season; the next set is December 15^th vs Chicago and December 16^th in Buffalo.

Tired vs. Rested

·        The Isles are 1-0-0 when both teams played the night before.

·        The Isles are 4-1-1 when they are rested and their opponents are not.

·        The Isles are 1-2-0 when their opponents are rested and the Isles are not.

·        The Isles are 3-7-3 when both teams are rested.

Ice-time Leaders

Isles: Nick Leddy (23:28); Washington: Matt Niskanen (26:41)

Isles record by ice-time leaders: Travis Hamonic (2-0-0), Nick Leddy (5-7-2), John Tavares (1-0-0), Johnny Boychuk (1-3-1), Dennis Seidenberg (0-0-1)

Josh Bailey led the forwards with 16:32 of ice-time. Isles record by Forward ice-time leaders: John Tavares (5-8-3), Josh Bailey (3-1-1), Casey Cizikas (1-0-0), Cal Clutterbuck (0-1-0)

Face-offs

Isles 28, Washington 29 (49%). 

John Tavares won 9 of 14 for the Isles; Jay Beagle won 8 of 13 for Washington.

The Isles won 13 of 20 face-offs in the middle period but only 15 of 37 in the first and third periods. The Isles won 19 of 42 draws at even strength, 2 of 4 on the power play and 7 of 11 on the penalty kill.

Hit Count

Isles 22, Washington 21.  Andrew Ladd, Casey Cizikas and Johnny Boychuk led the Isles with 3 hits; Tom Wilson had five to lead Washington.

Fights

There were no fights. Season total – 3: (deHaan 1, Hamonic 1, Mayfield 1).

The Isles were involved in 23 fights last season.

Blocked Shots

The Isles were credited with 21 blocked shots, including three from Dennis Seidenberg, Calvin deHaan and Casey Cizikas.

For the Corsi Crowd

All situations: Isles 47, Washington 87

5-on-5 Isles 34, Washington 54

5-on 5 leaders:

Isles: Thomas Hickey and Cizikas +1; Casey Cizikas 52%

Washington: Brooks Orpik +17

Ironmen

Jason Chimera – 128 (including 105 for the Capitals); Josh Bailey 91

Scratches

Thomas Greiss, Anthony Beauvillier, Scott Mayfield

Injured Reserve: Adam Pelech

Total games lost: 42

Missing a Piece (or two)

Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Isles are 18-18-4 in games in which they are missing Johnny Boychuk, Travis Hamonic or Nick Leddy, including 2-1-1 this season.

All-time Islander Leader Boards:

Games Played (skaters)

1.      Bryan Trottier 1123 *** 2. Denis Potvin 1060 *** 3. Bob Nystrom 900

….

13. Kenny Jonsson 597 *** 14. Garry Howatt 596 *** 15. John Tonelli 594*** 16. Josh Bailey 580

…

20. Claude Lapointe 535 *** 21. John Tavares 533

Goals

1.      Mike Bossy 573 *** 2. Bryan Trottier 500 *** 3. Denis Potvin 310

…

7. Bob Bourne 238 *** 8. Bob Nystrom 235 **** 9. John Tavares 213

Assists

1.      Bryan Trottier 853 *** 2. Denis Potvin 742 *** 3. Mike Bossy 553

…

10. Derek King 288 *** 11. Pat LaFontaine 279 *** 12. Bob Nystrom 278 *** 13. John Tavares 276

…

21. Duane Sutter & Alexi Yashin 171 *** 23. Josh Bailey 168

Points

1.      Bryan Trottier 1353 *** 2. Mike Bossy 1126 *** 3. Denis Potvin 1052

…

9. Bobby Nystrom 513 *** 10. Derek King 499 *** 11. John Tavares 489

…

21. Duane Sutter 292 *** 22. Alexei Yashin 290 *** 23. Ed Westfall 286 *** 24 Josh Bailey 264

Season Series Stats

The season series is tied one game to one (and two points to two) as the teams split the two games to be played in DC this season.  The three remaining meetings are all in Brooklyn, including two this month: December 13^th and December 27^th.

The Isles have been to DC three times this April, going 2-1-0.  This was the Isles' first regulation win over the Caps since their last shutout – February 4, 2014 (1-0).  Since then the Isles had gone 3-4-3 vs. the Caps, with all three Islander wins coming in overtime.

On The Farm

The Sound Tigers are 13-6-0-0 as they head into a three-game in three-day weekend.  Bridgeport visits Springfield on Friday before hosting Binghamton on Saturday night and Lehigh Valley at 3pm on Sunday.

Bracken Kearns continues to lead the Sound Tigers in scoring (6-11-17), while Steve Bernier leads the team in goals with eight goals.  Toews is tied for the AHL rookie assist lead with those 12 helpers.

Christopher Gibson, who hasn't played since an injury November 5^th, remains the team leader in victories (6-0-0) while McAdam is now 5-0-0.

Up Next

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4th–DETROIT AT ISLANDERS -  6:00PM

[MSG+ (Isles pre-game at 5:30), WNYM 970, 88.7 WRHU-FM, 103.9 WRCN]

The Isles will look to extend the winning streak to four games as they begin a three-game homestand by hosting Frans Nielsen and the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.

It will be the first meeting with Detroit since Nielsen joined the Red Wings as an unrestricted free agent and Nielsen's only visit to Brooklyn this season.

The Isles are 5-4-0 against Detroit since the Red Wings moved to the Eastern Conference for the 2013-14 season.

Eric Hornick has been the statistician on Islander home game telecasts since 1982. Information contained in "The Skinny" has been gathered from various sources.  Follow Eric @ehornick on Twitter & on his blog 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