Permutations & Combinations (aka the NHL's Draft Lottery)

(Unfortunately this is one that I had multiple copies of in my files)

Quick: what's 14 x 13 x 12 x 11? It's 24,024.

What's that have to do with the Draft Lottery? Well, everything.

The lottery is conducted with the selection of four balls from a pool of 14. Once a ball is chosen, it is not replaced (so each ball can be selected only once). As if turns out, there are 24,024 possible "permutations" that can be chosen. However, when you change it to combinations (ie 1-2-3-4 is the same result as 4-3-2-1 or 2-3-4-1.... or 21 other permutations), there are only (24,024 divided by 24 = ) 1,001 possible results.

One of those 1,001 is thrown out (it is the combination 11-12-13-14) and the others are assigned to each of the teams.

Here are the odds of winning the lottery:

31st: Buffalo Sabres: 18.5%

30th: Ottawa Senators: 13.5% (*)

29th: Arizona Coyotes: 11.5%

28th: Montreal Canadiens: 9.5%

27th: Detroit Red Wings: 8.5%

26th: Vancouver Canucks: 7.5%

25th: Chicago Blackhawks: 6.5%

24th: New York Rangers: 6.0%

23rd: Edmonton Oilers: 5.0%

22nd: New York ISLANDERS: 3.5%

21st: Carolina Hurricanes: 3.0%

20th: New York ISLANDERS (from CGY): 2.5%

19th: Dallas Stars: 2.0%

18th: St. Louis Blues: 1.5% (**)

17th: Florida Panthers: 1.0%

(*) Ottawa owes either this year's 1st round pick or next year's 1st round pick to Colorado

(**) If the Blues win one of the lottery picks (and thus move into the top 10) they can retain this pick and send Philadelphia next year's 1st round pick.  Otherwise this pick goes to the Flyers.

While last year the Isles' odds were 99:1, their odds are slightly better than 16:1 that they will win the lottery with either their pick or the pick they acquired from Calgary in the Travis Hamonic deal.

For the second time, the first three picks are determined via lottery so if you want to dream, the Isles have a remotely small chance of ending up with the first two picks.

The Isles have won the lottery twice, moving from 4th to 1st in 2000 (DiPietro) and retaining the first pick in 2009 (Tavares).

Last year, the Devils (5th seed) won the lottery, and then selected Nico Hischier; the Flyers moved from 13th to 2nd and chose Nolan Patrick; Dallas moved up from 8th to 3rd and picked Finnish defenseman Miro Heiskanen.  (The Isles enter this year's lottery with the 10th and 12th seeds).

The Isles have picked 1st overall four times:  Harris (1972), Potvin (1973), DiPietro (2000), Tavares (2009)

So what are the Isles' lucky numbers?  Here are the combinations that will win the lottery for the Isles.

(Isles' own pick)

1-2-3-13

1-2-4-10

1-3-4-10

1-3-5-12

1-3-7-12

1-3-9-13

1-4-6-8

1-4-11-13

1-5-7-8

1-5-7-14

1-5-9-13

1-5-12-13

1-6-7-13

1-6-10-14

1-8-11-12

1-8-12-14

2-3-7-12

2-3-8-13

2-6-9-11

3-5-6-10

3-6-7-9

3-6-10-14

3-12-13-14

4-5-13-14

4-7-11-12

4-10-13-14

5-6-11-13

5-7-8-11

5-8-11-13

6-7-10-13

6-7-11-12

6-8-10-13

6-9-11-12

7-11-12-14

8-10-12-13

(Calgary's pick)

1-4-6-10

1-7-8-11

1-7-11-13

1-8-11-13

1-10-11-12

1-10-11-14

2-3-4-11

2-3-5-10

2-3-6-10

2-3-10-13

2-4-10-13

2-5-7-9

2-6-8-11

2-8-10-14

2-8-11-14

2-9-10-13

3-7-8-12

3-7-9-14

3-9-11-14

4-6-7-9

4-6-8-10

4-7-8-14

4-8-13-14

7-8-10-14

8-10-11-12

Each lottery ball appears in exactly 286 combinations (although the 11-12-13-14 combination would be thrown out).  

The number 1 is the most common winning number for the Isles, appearing 22 times; number 9 is the least common, appearing only 10 times.

The lottery losers will be revealed between 7:30 and 8:00 on Saturday (NBCSN); the winning three teams will be revealed during the second intermission of that night's San Jose - Vegas game (NBC).

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

The Skinny: Isles 4, Detroit 3 (OT)

"The Skinny"

By Eric Hornick

Game 82

Isles 4, Detroit 3 (OT)       

John Tavares scored his franchise-record 11th overtime goal and Mathew Barzal tied Bryan Trottier's club record for assists as the Islanders rallied from a 3-1 deficit for a 4-3 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings before a sellout crowd of 19,515 at Little Caesars Arena.

Anders Lee became the first Islander since Jason Blake in 2006-07 to score 40 goals and Ryan Pulock ended his rookie season with a power play goal with 30 seconds to play in regulation. Both of those goals were set-up by Barzal, the presumed Calder Trophy winner.  Pulock also earned the assist on Tavares' season-ending goal. 

The Scoring: 

1ST PERIOD

11:13 Detroit Henrik Zetterberg (11) ASST: Gustav Nyquist (19) 0-1

2ND PERIOD

03:51 New York Andrew Ladd (12) ASST: Cal Clutterbuck (10), Thomas Hickey (20) 1-1

11:58 Detroit PPG - Justin Abdelkader (13) ASST: Henrik Zetterberg (45), Niklas Kronwall (23) 1-2

3RD PERIOD

04:10 Detroit Dylan Larkin (16) ASST: Anthony Mantha (24), Xavier Ouellet (7) 1-3

06:25 New York Anders Lee (40) ASST: Mathew Barzal (62), Adam Pelech (16) 2-3

19:30 New York PPG - Ryan Pulock (10) ASST: Mathew Barzal (63), Josh Bailey (53) 3-3

OT PERIOD

03:14 New York John Tavares (37) ASST: Ryan Pulock (22) 4-3

The Skinny  

Isles opened the season 15-7-2, but then went 20-30-8 in the final 58 games … Anthony Beauvillier saw his goal streak end at 5 games—he was the first Islander since John Tavares in 2012-13 to score in five straight games. Since New Year's Day, Beauvillier leads the team in goals (17), including goals in the last five games... The Isles went 1-2 on the power play (7-12 on the season vs. Detroit).  The power play finishes at 23.2%; it's their best season-long percentage since they finished the 1989-90 season at 23.6%... The Isles allowed a power play goal for the 9th straight game and finished with the lowest penalty kill percentage in franchise history (73.2%); the previous worst was 73.6% in 1988-89. This was the lowest by any NHL team since Toronto killed 72.7% in 1988-89… The Isles won their final three games to finish 6-12-4 in their last 22 games; they recorded consecutive three straight wins for the first time since mid-January.… Mathew Barzal's two assists give him the club lead in points with 85... Barzal finished the season with a four-game point streak …Thomas Hickey's assist gave him a career-high 25 points… The Isles allowed 293 goals, most since Philadelphia allowed 297 in 2006-07… …The Isles are 24-14-7 in season finales and are 24-16-5 in their last road game of the season.  Isles have won their final road game in each of the last five years…It's the second time an Islander regular season has ended with an overtime goal; Jordan Leopold (Pittsburgh) ended the Isles' 2009-10 campaign…The Isles go 3-0-0 this April and are now 11-1-1 in their last 13 regular season April games, losing only in the 2016 finale…John Tavares now has 11 overtime goals; since Tavares entered the NHL in 2009-10 only Alex Ovechkin (15) and Brad Marchand (12) have more. Tavares is the 26th player in NHL history to score at least 11 OT goals…Justin Abdelkader recorded his 100th NHL goal…Detroit has sold out their last 313 home games…Dylan Larkin (63 points) is the youngest Red Wing since Steve Yzerman to lead the team in scoring.

Career Years (excluding rookies, and others with limited prior NHL experience)

Several Isles had career years in 2017-18:

• Josh Bailey established career highs in goals (18), assists (53) and points (71)

• Anthony Beauvillier established career highs in goals (21) and points (36) and tied his high in assists (15)

• Thomas Hickey established a career high in points (25) and tied his high in assists (20)

• Anders Lee established career highs in goals (40), assists (22) and points (52)

Leaders:

• Games: Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, John Tavares and Mathew Barzal - 82

• Goals: Anders Lee - 40

• Assists: Mathew Barzal - 63

• Points: Mathew Barzal- 85

• Plus/Minus: Thomas Hickey +20

• Pen Mins: Ross Johnston - 62

• PP Goals: Anders Lee – 14

• PP Points: Josh Bailey - 31

• SH Goals: John Tavares - 2

• GW Goals: Jordan Eberle - 7 

• OT Goals: John Tavares -2 

• Shots: John Tavares – 257

• Shooting Percentage: Anders Lee – 19.2%

• Average ice-time: Nick Leddy - 22:25

• Face-off Percentages (minimum 300): Casey Cizikas – 53.1%

Most Goals by an Islander in the 2000's

• Jason Blake -40 (2006-07)

• Anders Lee - 40 (2017-18)

• John Tavares-38 (2014-15)

• John Tavares-37 (2017-18)

• Matt Moulson-36 (2011-12)

• Miroslav Satan -35 (2005-06)

• Mariusz Czerkawski-35 (1999-2000)

• Anders Lee -34 (2016-17)

• Michael Grabner-34 (2010-11) 

• John Tavares-33 (2015-16)

Lottery Update

In addition to their own picks, the Isles own Calgary's first two picks in the upcoming entry draft.  The Isles hold the 10th pick and 11th pick heading into the upcoming draft lottery, giving them a 6% chance of winning the lottery.

21/21/21

Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier both reached the 21-goal mark. They are the first duo in Islander history to each 21 games in the same season, prior to reaching their 21st birthday.  Toronto is the only team in the NHL to have two players with 21 goals at that young of an age.

Barzal ties Trottier in Assists in Historic Season

Mathew Barzal is the third highest-scoring rookie in Islander history; he finished with a team-leading 63 assists and a team-leading 85 points.

Most Assists by an Islander Rookie

1. Bryan Trottier 63 1975-76

MATHEW BARZAL 63 2017-18 

Most Points by an Islander Rookie

1. Bryan Trottier 95 1975-76

2. Mike Bossy 91 1977-78

3. MATHEW BARZAL 85 2017-18 

Barzal and Denis Potvin are the only rookies in Islander history to ever lead the team in both assists and points.

Barzal Earns His "A" in History

Mathew Barzal is one of only five rookies in NHL history with at least 63 assists in a season.   

1. Joe Juneau BOS 1992-93 70

Peter Stastny QUE 1980-81 70

3. Bryan Trottier NYI 1975-76 63

Sidney Crosby PIT 2005-06 63

MATHEW BARZAL NYI 2017-18 63

He is also one of only four rookies since 2000-01 with at least 85 points.

Most points by a rookie: last 18 seasons

1. Alex Ovechkin WSH2005-06 106

2. Sidney Crosby PIT 2005-06 102

3. Evgeni Malkin PIT 2006-07   85

MATHEW BARZAL NYI 2017-18   85

37 Goal Club

Anders Lee has 40 goals and John Tavares has 37.  They are the first Islander teammates with at least 37 goals since Pierre Turgeon and Steve Thomas did so in 1993-94 and the first to combine for at least 77 goals since Thomas (42) and Turgeon (38) had 80 in 1993-94.

40 Goal Club

Anders Lee is only the 2nd Islander in the last 20 years to score 40 goals in a season, tying Jason Blake's 2006-07 total.

Lee is also the first Islander with consecutive 34+ goal seasons since Ziggy Palffy (1995-96 to 1997-98). 

63 Helpers

Mathew Barzal has 63 assists; it's the highest total by an Islander since Pierre Turgeon had 74 helpers in 1992-93, which is the most by an Islander in the Post-Cup era.

Two Over 50

Barzal and Josh Bailey are the first Islander teammates with more than 50 assists since Mike Bossy (62) and Bryan Trottier (59) did so in 1985-86.

Pulock Hits Double Digits!

Pulock finished with 10 goals on the season, which is 3rd in Islander history (Denis Potvin-17 and Vladimir Malakhov-14). His five power play goals are also third; only Malakhov (7) and Potvin (6) had more.  Pulock finished 7th among Islander rookie defenseman with 32 points in his rookie season. 

Three's Company

Mathew Barzal had nine games of at least three points this season (six games with three points and three games with five points). Since 1993-94, only Sidney Crosby (11 times) and Artemi Panarin (10 times) have done so as often in their rookie seasons.

Five's Alive

The Isles scored at least five goals 12 times at home (10-2-0) and 19 times overall (18-2-0). The Isles also scored two shootout winners for a fifth goal of the game (not included above). 

Five's Trouble

The Isles allowed at least five goals 13 times at home (1-10-2) and 22 times overall (1-19-2).  

First Things First

The Isles scored first 38 times this season (23-10-5). The Isles won the first eleven times they scored first this season but were only 12-10-5 in the last 27 games that they scored first.

First Goal 

The Isles were 23-10-5 when they scored first and were 12-27-5 when they allowed the opening goal. 

Season Goals by Period

Isles 73-86-95-7=261 (Most since 1993-94  282)

Opponent 87-108-91-7=293 (Most since 1995-96 315)

The 95 third period goals were the most the Isles had scored since 1992-93 (110)

Season Shots by Period

Isles 810-877-839-46=2,572 (31.4 per game; 2nd highest in club history to 33.8 in 2014-15)

Opponent 979-987-905-47=2,918 (35.6 per game; most in NHL and highest in club history)

The Shots

Isles     9-16-10-5=40

Detroit 12-7-16-4=39

The Isles are 10-15-5 when they outshoot their opponents, 0-1-0 when the shots are even, and 25-21-5 when they are outshot.  (The 25 wins while being outshot ties the club record, set by the 1983-84 team)

Home and Road

The Islanders are 35-37-10 overall; 19-18-4 at home and 16-19-6 on the road.  

Detroit is 30-39-13 overall; 16-16-9 at home and 14-23-4 on the road.  

By Division & Conference

The Isles are 13-13-2 in Division games and 22-24-8 in games versus other divisions.  The Isles are 22-27-3 against the East and 13-10-7 against the West.  

Our House

The Isles were 19-18-4 at home; they were 11-14-0 against the East and 7-4-4 against the West.  However, after opening the season 8-0-2 on home ice, the Isles went 11-18-2 in their last 31 games in Brooklyn.

In the Nets

Thomas Greiss made 36 saves to improve to 13-8-2 on the season and 3-2-1 in his career against Detroit.  

Jared Coreau made 35 saves; he is 0-5-1 on the season in his first career appearance against the Isles. 

Power Plays

The Isles were 1-2 on the power play in 3:06 of PP time; Detroit was 1-1 on the power play in 0:34 of PP time.

The Isles finished the season 58-250 (23.2%) on the power play and 63-235 (73.2%) on the penalty kill.

The Isles are 21-16-3 when they score at least one power play goal and 14-21-7 when they do not.  The Isles are 20-26-3 when they allow at least one power play goal and 15-11-7 when they do not.    

Three is a Magic Number

The Isles are 32-15-5 when they score at least three goals (including shootout winners) and are 3-22-5 when they do not.  

One Goal Games

The Isles are 16-11-10 in games decided by a single goal including 6-11 in regulation. They are 7-7 in games decided in overtime and are 3-3 in shootouts.  The Isles are 4-4 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1 goal game into a 2-goal game.

Back-to-Backs

The Isles went 6-10-0 on the front-end of back-to-backs and 6-9-1 on the back-end this season.

Tired vs. Rested

• The Isles are 3-4-0 when both teams played the night before. 

• The Isles are 6-2-0 when they are rested, and their opponents are not. 

• The Isles are 3-5-1 when their opponents are rested, and the Isles are not.

• The Isles are 23-26-9 when both teams are rested. 

Ice-time Leaders

Isles: Ryan Pulock (26:51); Detroit: Danny DeKeyser (23:15)

Josh Bailey led Isles forwards with 20:20 of ice-time.

Face-offs

Isles 29, Detroit 28 (51%).

John Tavares won 12 of 22 for the Isles; Frans Nielsen won 8 of 12 for Detroit. 

Face-offs by period: 1st period 8/11; 2nd period 10/20; 3rd period 10/20; Overtime 1/6.

Face-offs by strength: Even strength: 27/54, Power play 1/2, Penalty kill 1/1.

Hit Count

Isles 13 (Brandon Davidson-3)  

Detroit 16 (Jonathan Ericsson-3)

Fights

There were no fights. Season total – 15: (Johnston 4, Boychuk 2, Mayfield 1, Cizikas 1, Chimera 1, Prince 1, Bailey 1, Eberle 1, Nelson 1, Clutterbuck 1, Seidenberg 1).

Blocked Shots

The Isles blocked 19 shots (Brandon Davidson-6).

For the Corsi Crowd 

All situations: Isles 68, Detroit 70 

5-on-5 Isles 53, Detroit 63

5-on-5 leaders:

Isles: Three with 0

Detroit: Nick Jensen +16

Night and Day 

The Isles were 31-36-9 in night games and 4-1-1 in matinees.

Ironmen

Anders Lee 118, Brock Nelson 95, Mathew Barzal/John Tavares 82. 

This is the first time since 2011-12 that the Isles had four players appear in all 82 games (Mark Streit, Matt Moulson, Frans Nielsen, John Tavares).  The last time the Isles had 4 forwards play every game in a full season was 1986-87 when Duane Sutter, Mikko Makela, Bryan Trottier and Pat LaFontaine all played all 80.

(Brendan Burke called his 96th straight game today, joining Jiggs McDonald as the only man to call every Isles game on TV in a season)

Scratches

(Nikolay Kulemin -IR), (Calvin deHaan-IR), (Alan Quine-IR), Casey Cizikas-INJ, Ross Johnston, Johnny Boychuk-INJ, Nick Leddy

Total games lost: 325

Late Heroes

The Isles scored six times in the final two minutes of regulation to either tie or take the lead:

10/9 – STL Blues – Anders Lee (19:00); tied game, but Isles lost in shootout

12/7 – PIT Penguins – Brock Nelson (18:50); tied game, but Isles lost in overtime

12/27- BUF Sabres – Josh Bailey (18:51); tied game, and Isles won in overtime

2/9 – DET Red Wings – Josh Bailey (18:11); took lead, Isles allowed tying goal but then won in overtime

3/5 – VAN Canucks – Jordan Eberle (18:56); tied game, but Isles lost in overtime

4/7 – DET Red Wings – Ryan Pulock (19:30); tied game, and Isles won in overtime

Late Goals Allowed

The Isles have allowed a goal six times in the final two minutes of regulation to either tie or win a game:

12/16 – LA Kings – Anze Kopitar (19:47); tied game, but Isles won in overtime

12/21—ANA Ducks – Rickard Rakell (18:45); tied game and Ducks won in overtime

2/6 – NAS Predators – Ryan Johansen (19:17); tied game and Predators won in overtime

2/9 – DET Red Wings – Mike Green (19:31); tied game but Isles won in overtime

2/11- CLG Flames – Mathew Tkachuk (18:55); won game

3/9 – EDM Oilers – Connor McDavid (18:10); tied game and Oilers won in shootout

Offside Challenges

The Isles challenged four times and were successful three times.  The Isles are 2-1-0 in games they win the challenge and are 0-0-1 in games they lose the challenge.

• 10/10 vs STL Blues – unsuccessful; Isles killed ensuing power play.

• 10/12 @ Ana Ducks – successful

• 1/15 @ Mtl Canadiens – successful 

• 2/16 @ Car Hurricanes - successful

The opponents did not challenge an Islander goal due to an offside this season.

7-11

The Isles used 7 defensemen six times this season (10/19 @NYR, 10/21 vs SJ, 1/16 vs. NJ, 3/2 vs. MTL, 3/30 vs. TOR, 3/31 @NJ) and are 2-4-0 in those games.  Under Doug Weight, the Isles are 6-4-0 when they dress seven natural defensemen.

All-time Islander Leader Boards:

Games Played (skaters)

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

…

6. Mike Bossy 752 *** 7. Josh Bailey 715*** 8. Patrick Flatley 712 *** 9. Brent Sutter 694 *** 10. John Tavares 669

Goals

1. Mike Bossy 573 *** 2. Bryan Trottier 500 *** 3. Denis Potvin 310 *** 4. Clark Gillies 304***

5. Pat LaFontaine and Brent Sutter 287 *** 7. John Tavares 272

…

17. Kyle Okposo 139 *** 18. Jason Blake 127 *** 19. Josh Bailey and Anders Lee 124 

Assists

1. Bryan Trottier 853 *** 2. Denis Potvin 742 *** 3. Mike Bossy 553*** 4. Clark Gillies 359***

5.  John Tavares 349

…

13. Bobby Nystrom 278 *** 14. Billy Harris 259 *** 15. Josh Bailey 252

Points

1. Bryan Trottier 1353 *** 2. Mike Bossy 1126 *** 3. Denis Potvin 1052 *** 4. Clark Gillies 663 ***

5.  John Tavares 619

…

13. Billy Harris 443 *** 14. Josh Bailey 376 

Games Played (Goalies)

1. Billy Smith 674 *** 2. Rick DiPietro 318 *** 3. Glenn Resch 282 *** 4. Kelly Hrudey 241 ***

5. Tommy Salo 187 *** 6. Jaroslav Halak 177 

…

10. Garth Snow 127 *** 11.  Evgeni Nabokov 123 *** 12. Thomas Greiss 118

Wins (Goalie)

1. Billy Smith 304 *** 2. Glenn Resch 157 *** 3. Rick DiPietro 130***4. Kelly Hrudey 106 ***

5. Jaroslav Halak 88 *** 6.  Rollie Melanson 77*** 7. Glenn Healy 66 *** 8.  Tommy Salo and Thomas Greiss 62

Season Series Stats

The Isles win the season series two games to one (each team earned four points). 

The Isles have won seven of their last ten games in Detroit.

On the Farm

Bridgeport is 36-28-5-3 after splitting the first two games of their 3-in-3 weekend.  Their loss on Saturday eliminated them from the Calder Cup playoffs.

Travis St. Denis leads the team in both goals (23) and points (44). Christopher Gibson is 19-12-3 in the nets with 4 shutouts.

The Sound Tigers have four games remaining; they host Wiles-Barre on Sunday before completing their season with a 3-in-3 stretch next weekend.

Up Next

Summer Vacation, which for the second straight season comes a lot sooner than I hoped.

And Finally…

82 games, 82 editions of The Skinny.  It's another perfect season, at least in attendance. Counting a special double edition in March 2013, the attendance streak dates to February 28, 2012 – 502 games (including 24 playoff games).     

502 is a magical number in hockey streaks – Glenn Hall played 502 straight games in goal to establish an NHL record that will likely never be challenged.  Hall's hometown was stricken with a terrible tragedy this weekend.  Thoughts and prayers to Hall's hometown of Humboldt, Saskatchewan.

Thanks to all of you who read (and contribute) to The Skinny all year long.  I am truly thankful for your kind words and your passion, whether it is on Twitter, at Barclays, or in random meetings on the street.

Thanks also to my MSG Network teammates – the ones you know: Brendan Burke, Butch Goring, Shannon Hogan, and Stan Fischler – and the ones you don't: Producer Jim Gallagher, Director Joel Mandelbaum, Graphics Coordinator Sarah Servetnick, Tape AD Charlie Cucchiara, and Stage Manager JT Townsend.  

A final thanks to Kimber, Jesse, Kelly and Cory from the Islander PR staff and to my very understanding family!  (Congratulations to Adam on his upcoming graduation from Cornell, and to Evan on his upcoming entry to Vanderbilt)

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

The Skinny on the Draft Lottery (Saturday 6pm update)

Lottery Update

In addition to their own picks, the Isles own Calgary's first two picks in the upcoming entry draft.  

With the Rangers' loss, the Isles are guaranteed to finish ahead of the Rangers for the first time since 2003-04.

The Isles currently hold the 10th pick and 12th pick heading into the upcoming draft lottery, giving them a 6% chance of winning the lottery.

The Isles will have somewhere between the 8th seed and 10th seed based on their finish and either the 11th or 12th seed, based on Calgary's finish.

The combined percentages mean that the Isles will have somewhere between a 6% and 9% chance of winning the lottery.

Percentage chances by seed:

8th: 6%

9th: 5%

10th: 3.5%

11th: 3.0%

12th: 2.5%

If the Isles earn a point tonight, they will be locked into the 10th seed.

If Calgary earns a point tonight (or Carolina loses in any fashion), the pick they are sending to the Isles will be 12th.

Tonight's games:

Isles at Detroit

Chicago at Winnipeg

Tampa Bay at Carolina

Vancouver at Edmonton

Vegas at Calgary

The Skinny: Isles 2, Rangers 1

"The Skinny"

By Eric Hornick

Game 81

Isles 2, Rangers 1

Thomas Hickey and Anthony Beauvillier scored 2:32 apart in the second period to overcome a 1-0 Ranger lead and Jaroslav Halak made 34 saves as the Islanders closed out the home season by defeating the Rangers 2-1 before a crowd of 14,152 at Barclays Center.

The win allowed the Islanders to finish with an above-NHL .500 record on home-ice (19-18-4) as they swept the season series from the Rangers for the second time in three seasons.  The Isles are 6-0-0 in Brooklyn all-time against the Blueshirts.

 

The Scoring: 

1ST PERIOD

04:25 New York PPG - Kevin Hayes (25) ASST: Brady Skjei (21), Mats Zuccarello (37) 0-1

2ND PERIOD

04:55 New York Thomas Hickey (5) ASST: Mathew Barzal (61) 1-1

07:27 New York Anthony Beauvillier (21) ASST: Andrew Ladd (17), Brock Nelson (16) 2-1

3RD PERIOD

No Scoring

The Skinny  

Isles are 19-30-8 since December 1st … Anthony Beauvillier's goal gives the Isles five players with at least 21 goals for the first time since 1993-94. Since New Year's Day, Beauvillier leads the team in goals (17), including goals in the last five games... Beauvillier is the 25th NHL player to have a 5-game goal streak this season (and the first Islander)…Anders Lee was held goalless for the fourth straight game as he remains at 39 goals; Lee was originally credited with the Isles' first goal but it was changed after replays showed the puck went in off a Ranger …The Isles went 0-2 on the power play.  The power play is operating at 23.0%; the Isles will finish the season having converted 20% of their power plays over a full season for the first time since 1993-94 (20.1%); however the penalty kill remains at 73.5%, which would be the worst in club history (73.6% in 1988-89) and the lowest by any NHL team since Ottawa killed 73.3% in 1993-94… The Isles are 5-12-4 in their last 21 games; they have recorded consecutive wins for the first time since mid-February.… Mathew Barzal's assist tied him with John Tavares for the club lead in points with 8; he also tied Vladimir Malakhov's club rookie record with his 10th point against the Rangers.  Barzal is the only NYR opponent with ten points against them this season. …Thomas Hickey's goal gave him a career-high 24 points… The Isles have allowed 290 goals, most since Philadelphia allowed 297 in 2006-07…Kevin Hayes' goal gave the Rangers two centers with 25+ goals for the first time since Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky did so in 1996-97…The Isles improve to 25-13-7 all-time in home finales, including 5-1-0 against the Rangers.

Lottery Update

In addition to their own picks, the Isles own Calgary's first two picks in the upcoming entry draft.  At the end of play Thursday, the Isles held the 10th pick and 12th pick heading into the upcoming draft lottery, giving them a 6% chance of winning the lottery.

The Isles will have somewhere between the 7th seed and 10th seed based on their finish and either the 11th or 12th seed, based on Calgary's finish.

The combined percentages mean that the Isles will have somewhere between a 6% and 9.5% chance of winning the lottery.

21/21/21

Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier have now both reached the 21-goal mark. They are the first duo in Islander history to each 21 games in the same season, prior to reaching their 21st birthday.  Toronto is the only team in the NHL to have two players with 21 goals at that young of an age.

Barzal Is Highest Scoring Isles Rookie in 40 Years

Mathew Barzal is the third highest-scoring rookie in Islander history; he has a team-leading 61 assists and 83 points and needs two assists on Saturday to tie Bryan Trottier's franchise record.

Most Assists by an Islander Rookie

1. Bryan Trottier 63 1975-76

2. MATHEW BARZAL 61 2017-18 

Most Points by an Islander Rookie

1. Bryan Trottier 95 1975-76

2. Mike Bossy 91 1977-78

3. MATHEW BARZAL 83 2017-18 

Barzal will join Denis Potvin as the only rookies to ever lead the Isles in assists; he is tied with John Tavares for the club lead in points.  Billy Harris, Potvin, Trent Hunter (tied) and John Tavares are the only rookies to ever lead the Isles in points.

Barzal Earning an "A" in History

Mathew Barzal is one of only eight rookies in NHL history with at least 60 assists in a season.   

1. Joe Juneau BOS 1992-93 70

Peter Stastny QUE 1980-81 70

3. Bryan Trottier NYI 1975-76 63

Sidney Crosby PIT 2005-06 63

5. Sergei Makarov CGY 1989-90 62

6. MATHEW BARZAL NYI 2017-18 61

7. Neal Broten MIN  1981-82 60

Larry Murphy LA 1980-81 60

The Isles are the only team in National Hockey League history to have two rookies record 60-assist seasons.

He is also one of only four rookies since 2000-01 with at least 83 points.

More points by a rookie: last 18 seasons

1 Alex Ovechkin WSH2005-06 106

2 Sidney Crosby PIT 2005-06 102

3 Evgeni Malkin PIT 2006-07   85

4 MATHEW BARZAL NYI 2017-18   83

36 Goal Club

Anders Lee has 39 goals and John Tavares has 36.  They are the first Islander teammates with at least 36 goals since Pierre Turgeon, Steve Thomas and Benoit Hogue all did so in 1993-94 and the first to combine for at least 75 goals since Ziggy Palffy (48) and Bryan Smolinski (28) had 76 in 1996-97.

39 Goal Club

Anders Lee is only the 2nd Islander in the last 20 years to score 39 goals in a season:

1. Jason Blake 40 2006-07

2.    ANDERS LEE 39 2017-18

Lee is also the first Islander with multiple 34+ goal seasons since Ziggy Palffy (1995-96 to 1997-98). 

61 Helpers

Mathew Barzal has 61 assists; it's the highest total by an Islander since Pierre Turgeon had 74 helpers in 1992-93, which is the most by an Islander in the Post-Cup era.

Two Over 50

Barzal and Josh Bailey are the first Islander teammates with more than 50 assists since Mike Bossy (62) and Bryan Trottier (59) did so in 1985-86.

Pulock Moving up on Rookie Season Lists Too!

Pulock has 9 goals on the season; only two rookie defensemen (Denis Potvin-17 and Vladimir Malakhov-14) have scored more goals.  Ken Leiter, Chris Campoli and Tomas Jonsson also finished their rookie seasons with 9 goals.

Four of Pulock's goals have come on the power play.  Among Islander rookie defensemen, only Malakhov (7) and Potvin (6) have more.  Ken Leiter also scored four power play goals as a rookie.

Pulock is the 8th Islander rookie defenseman to record 30 points in his rookie season. 

Three's Company

Mathew Barzal has nine games of at least three points this season (six games with three points and three games with five points). Since 1993-94, only Sidney Crosby (11 times) and Artemi Panarin (10 times) have done so as often in their rookie seasons.

Five's Alive

The Isles have scored at least five goals 12 times at home (10-2-0) and 19 times overall (18-2-0). The Isles have also scored two shootout winners for a fifth goal of the game (not included above). 

Five's Trouble

The Isles have allowed at least five goals 13 times at home (1-10-2) and 22 times overall (1-19-2).  

First Things First

The Isles have scored first 38 times this season (23-10-5). The Isles won the first eleven times they scored first this season but are only 12-10-5 in the last 27 games that they scored first.

First Goal 

The Isles are 23-10-5 when they score first and are 11-27-5 when they allow the opening goal. 

The Shots

Isles      8-5-9=22

Rangers 8-13-14=35

The Isles are 9-15-5 when they outshoot their opponents, 0-1-0 when the shots are even, and 25-21-5 when they are outshot.  (The 25 wins while being outshot ties the club record, set by the 1983-84 team)

Home and Road

The Islanders are 34-37-10 overall; 19-18-4 at home and 15-19-6 on the road.  

Rangers is 34-38-9 overall; 21-16-4 at home and 13-21-5 on the road.  

By Division & Conference

The Isles are 13-13-2 in Division games and 21-24-8 in games versus other divisions.  The Isles are 21-27-3 against the East and 13-10-7 against the West.  

Our House

The Isles are 19-18-4 at home; they are 11-14-0 against the East and 7-4-4 against the West.  However, after opening the season 8-0-2 on home ice, the Isles went 11-18-2 in their last 31 games in Brooklyn.

In the Nets

Jaroslav Halak made 34 saves to improve to 20-26-6 on the season and 18-7-0 (with a .929 save percentage) in his career against the Rangers.  Halak went 4-0-0 against the Rangers this season.

Ondrej Pavelec made 20 saves but falls to 4-9-1 on the season and 4-9-3 in his career against the Isles. 

Power Plays

The Isles were 0-2 on the power play in 2:49 of PP time; Rangers was 1-4 on the power play in 6:22 of PP time.

The Isles are 20-16-3 when they score at least one power play goal and 14-21-7 when they do not.  The Isles are 19-26-3 when they allow at least one power play goal and 15-11-7 when they do not.    

Three is (Usually) a Magic Number

The Isles are 31-15-5 when they score at least three goals (including shootout winners) and are 3-22-5 when they do not.  

One Goal Games

The Isles are 15-11-10 in games decided by a single goal including 6-11 in regulation. They are 6-7 in games decided in overtime and are 3-3 in shootouts.  The Isles are 4-4 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1 goal game into a 2-goal game.

Back-to-Backs

The Isles went 6-10-0 on the front-end of back-to-backs and 6-9-1 on the back-end this season.

 

Tired vs. Rested

• The Isles are 3-4-0 when both teams played the night before. 

• The Isles are 6-2-0 when they are rested, and their opponents are not. 

• The Isles are 3-5-1 when their opponents are rested, and the Isles are not.

• The Isles are 22-26-9 when both teams are rested. 

Ice-time Leaders

Isles: Brandon Davidson (22:05); Rangers: Brady Skjei (23:18)

Anders Lee led Isles forwards with 18:20 of ice-time.

Face-offs

Isles 23, Rangers 23 (50%).

Chris Wagner won 5 of 8 for the Isles; Filip Chytil won 7 of11 for Rangers. 

Face-offs by period: 1st period 8/13; 2nd period 8/18; 3rd period 7/15.

Face-offs by strength: Even strength: 20/37, Power play 0/2, Penalty kill 3/7.

Hit Count

Isles 26 (Ross Johnston-5)  

Rangers 14 (Rob O'Gara-4)

Fights

There were no fights. Season total – 15: (Johnston 4, Boychuk 2, Mayfield 1, Cizikas 1, Chimera 1, Prince 1, Bailey 1, Eberle 1, Nelson 1, Clutterbuck 1, Seidenberg 1).

Blocked Shots

The Isles blocked 17 shots (Brandon Davidson-3).

For the Corsi Crowd 

All situations: Isles 44, Rangers 61 (including 12-1 Rangers in the final 5:56)

5-on-5 Isles 41, Rangers 46

5-on-5 leaders:

Isles: Andrew Ladd +7

Rangers: Vladislav Namestnikov +9

Night and Day 

The Isles are 30-36-9 in night games and 4-1-1 in matinees.

Ironmen

Anders Lee 117, Brock Nelson 94, Mathew Barzal/John Tavares 81.

Scratches

(Nikolay Kulemin -IR), (Calvin deHaan-IR), (Alan Quine-IR), Casey Cizikas-INJ, Tanner Fritz-INJ, Johnny Boychuk-INJ, Scott Mayfield

Total games lost: 321

Late Heroes

The Isles have scored five times in the final two minutes of regulation to either tie or take the lead:

10/9 – STL Blues – Anders Lee (19:00); tied game, but Isles lost in shootout

12/7 – PIT Penguins – Brock Nelson (18:50); tied game, but Isles lost in overtime

12/27- BUF Sabres – Josh Bailey (18:51); tied game, and Isles won in overtime

2/9 – DET Red Wings – Josh Bailey (18:11); took lead, Isles allowed tying goal but then won in overtime

3/5 – VAN Canucks – Jordan Eberle (18:56); tied game, but Isles lost in overtime

Late Goals Allowed

The Isles have allowed a goal six times in the final two minutes of regulation to either tie or win a game:

12/16 – LA Kings – Anze Kopitar (19:47); tied game, but Isles won in overtime

12/21—ANA Ducks – Rickard Rakell (18:45); tied game and Ducks won in overtime

2/6 – NAS Predators – Ryan Johansen (19:17); tied game and Predators won in overtime

2/9 – DET Red Wings – Mike Green (19:31); tied game but Isles won in overtime

2/11- CLG Flames – Mathew Tkachuk (18:55); won game

3/9 – EDM Oilers – Connor McDavid (18:10); tied game and Oilers won in shootout

Offside Challenges

The Isles have challenged four times and been successful three times.  The Isles are 2-1-0 in games they win the challenge and are 0-0-1 in games they lose the challenge.

• 10/10 vs STL Blues – unsuccessful; Isles killed ensuing power play.

• 10/12 @ Ana Ducks – successful

• 1/15 @ Mtl Canadiens – successful 

• 2/16 @ Car Hurricanes - successful

The opponents have not challenged an Islander goal due to an offside this season.

7-11

The Isles have used 7 defensemen six times this season (10/19 @NYR, 10/21 vs SJ, 1/16 vs. NJ, 3/2 vs. MTL, 3/30 vs. TOR, 3/31 @NJ) and are 2-4-0 in those games.  Under Doug Weight, the Isles are 6-4-0 when they dress seven natural defensemen.

All-time Islander Leader Boards:

Games Played (skaters)

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

…

6. Mike Bossy 752 *** 7. Josh Bailey 714*** 8. Patrick Flatley 712 *** 9. Brent Sutter 694 *** 10. John Tavares 668

Goals

1. Mike Bossy 573 *** 2. Bryan Trottier 500 *** 3. Denis Potvin 310 *** 4. Clark Gillies 304***

5. Pat LaFontaine and Brent Sutter 287 *** 7. John Tavares 271

…

17. Kyle Okposo 139 *** 18. Jason Blake 127 *** 19. Josh Bailey 124 *** 20. Anders Lee 123 

Assists

1. Bryan Trottier 853 *** 2. Denis Potvin 742 *** 3. Mike Bossy 553*** 4. Clark Gillies 359***

5.  John Tavares 349

…

13. Bobby Nystrom 278 *** 14. Billy Harris 259 *** 15. Josh Bailey 252

Points

1. Bryan Trottier 1353 *** 2. Mike Bossy 1126 *** 3. Denis Potvin 1052 *** 4. Clark Gillies 663 ***

5.  John Tavares 618

…

13. Billy Harris 443 *** 14. Josh Bailey 376 

Games Played (Goalies)

1. Billy Smith 674 *** 2. Rick DiPietro 318 *** 3. Glenn Resch 282 *** 4. Kelly Hrudey 241 ***

5. Tommy Salo 187 *** 6. Jaroslav Halak 177 

…

10. Garth Snow 127 *** 11.  Evgeni Nabokov 123 *** 12. Thomas Greiss 117

Wins (Goalie)

1. Billy Smith 304 *** 2. Glenn Resch 157 *** 3. Rick DiPietro 130***4. Kelly Hrudey 106 ***

5. Jaroslav Halak 88 *** 6.  Rollie Melanson 77*** 7. Glenn Healy 66 *** 8.  Tommy Salo 62 *** 

9. Thomas Greiss 61

Season Series Stats

The Isles win the season series four games to none (and eight points to one). 

The Isles are 11-1-0 in their last 12 games against the Rangers.

On the Farm

Bridgeport is 35-27-5-3 heading into a 3-in-3 weekend that begins on Friday in Wilkes-Barre.

 

Travis St. Denis leads the team in both goals (23) and points (44). Christopher Gibson is 18-11-3 in the nets with 4 shutouts.

The Sound Tigers have six games remaining; they will be played in two three-in-three weekends.  This weekend, following Friday's game at Wilkes-Barre, the Sound Tigers will host Providence on Saturday and host the baby Penguins on Sunday.  

Up Next

SATURDAY, APRIL 7th -- ISLANDERS AT DETROIT 7:00PM 

[MSG+2 (Islander pre-game at 6:30PM), WNYM 970AM, 88.7 WRHU-FM, 103.9 WRCN]

The Isles will close out the 2017-18 season as they make their first visit to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

The teams have split a pair of games in Brooklyn this season, including a memorable come-from-behind 7-6 win on February 9th.

And Finally…

Congratulations to Stan Fischler, who worked his final NHL game only 27,540 days after attending his first NHL game.  Most people know him as "The Maven"; "The Mensch" would have worked just as nicely. 

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

Stan's First NHL game

For most people, it's fairly easy to remember the first NHL game you ever saw.  [I recounted mine, the night that a journeyman named Bob Cook became the best player I'd ever seen, here: It Happened at the Coliseum … on MARCH 3rd

It Happened at the Coliseum … on MARCH 3rd All the numbers on the New York Islanders from the team's long-time television statistician.

The first NHL game our friend and colleague Stan Fischler saw occurred 30 years earlier.  With Stan retiring tonight after a truly remarkable career, I thought you might enjoy reliving that game, played at the old Garden on 8th Avenue and West 50th Street.

Chicago Blackhawks - New York Rangers - November 10th, 1942

Chicago Blackhawks - New York Rangers - November 10th, 1942 The official National Hockey League web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, liv...

This box score is a treasure trove of fun .. with a funny Isles tie.

The Rangers beat the Blackhawks 5-3 that night... in overtime.  (Overtime was a 10-minute period, with no sudden death).

Bryan Hextall, Sr., who 31 months earlier had scored the overtime goal to win the 1940 Stanley Cup for the Blueshirts, scored the first overtime goal.

Hextall then assisted on HHOFer Lynn Patrick's overtime tally; the final goal of the first NHL game Stan saw was scored at a Bobby Nystrom-like 7:11 of overtime.

The Ranger netminder that night -- the (in)famous Steve "The Puck Goes-insky" Buzinski.  Two nights earlier Buzinski had allowed Rocket Richard's first NHL goal.

The story I read said that Stan was most excited to see the Bentley brothers that night -- sure enough Doug Bentley scored twice for Chicago and Max assisted on Doug's first goal.

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

The (500th consecutive) Skinny: Isles 5, Philadelphia 4

"The Skinny"

By Eric Hornick

Game 80

Isles 5, Philadelphia 4

Mathew Barzal scored two goals, including the game-winner with 6:28 to play as the Islanders overcame a late Flyer rally to defeat Philadelphia 5-4 on Fan Appreciation Night before a crowd of 11,951 at Barclays Center.

Barzal's winning goal, his third point of the game, came just 28 seconds after Claude Giroux had tied the game with the Flyers' third goal of the third period, and gives him 82 points in his rookie campaign.

The Flyers had an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot but trailed the game 4-1 through 40 minutes before their rally fell short.

 

The Scoring: 

1ST PERIOD

07:15 New York PPG - John Tavares (35) ASST: Mathew Barzal (60) 0-1

19:07 Philadelphia Wayne Simmonds (24) ASST: Nolan Patrick (16), Oskar Lindblom (4) 1-1

2ND PERIOD

03:43 New York Anthony Beauvillier (20) ASST: Thomas Hickey (19), Ryan Pulock (21) 1-2

11:06 New York John Tavares (36) ASST: Josh Bailey (52) 1-3

16:27 New York Mathew Barzal (21) ASST: Anthony Beauvillier (14), Jordan Eberle (33) 1-4

3RD PERIOD

04:07 Philadelphia PPG - Nolan Patrick (12) ASST: Shayne Gostisbehere (48), Claude Giroux (67) 2-4

08:16 Philadelphia PPG - Nolan Patrick (13) ASST: Jakub Voracek (64), Shayne Gostisbehere (49) 3-4

13:04 Philadelphia Claude Giroux (30) ASST: Sean Couturier (41), Andrew MacDonald (15) 4-4

13:32 New York Mathew Barzal (22) ASST: Anthony Beauvillier (15), Jordan Eberle (34) 4-5

The Skinny  

Isles are 18-30-8 since December 1st … Anthony Beauvillier's goal gives the Isles five players with at least 20 goals for the second straight season; Beauvillier has more than doubled last season's goal output (9). Since New Year's Day, Beauvillier leads the team in goals (16), including goals in the last four games... Anders Lee was held goalless for the third straight game as he remains at 39 goals …The Isles went 1-3 on the power play.  The power play is operating at 23.2%; the Isles will finish the season having converted 20% of their power plays over a full season for the first time since 1993-94 (20.1%); however the penalty kill has fallen to 73.5%, which would be the worst in club history (73.6% in 1988-89) and the lowest by any NHL team since Ottawa killed 73.3% in 1993-94… The Isles are 4-12-4 in their last 20 games… Josh Bailey had an assist after missing two straight games with an injury; he passed Patrick Flatley for 7th place on the all-time Isles games played list (713) ... John Tavares had two goals, giving him 36.  Tavares, who leads the Isles with 83 points, is three points away from his career high…Thomas Hickey earned an assist giving him a career-high 23 points…Shayne Gostisbehere had two assists, giving the Union College product 10 points in 12 career games against the Isles…Nolan Patrick's two power play goals gave him the first multi-goal game of his career…Claude Giroux extended his point streak to eight games…The Isles have now allowed 289 goals, most since Philadelphia allowed 297 in 2006-07.

A Special Skinny

You are reading the 500th consecutive edition of The Skinny, a streak that started in February 2012. The Skinny has appeared after the last 476 regular season games and 24 playoff games.  Billy Harris played in the first 576 Islander regular season games, so he is still 100 games ahead (135 counting playoffs).

 

Lottery Update

In addition to their own picks, the Isles own Calgary's first two picks in the upcoming entry draft.  At the end of play Tuesday, the Isles held the 9th pick and 12th pick heading into the upcoming draft lottery, giving them a 7.5% chance of winning the lottery.

The Isles will have somewhere between the 7th seed and 10th seed based on their finish and either the 11th or 12th seed, based on Calgary's finish.

The combined percentages mean that the Isles will have somewhere between a 6% and 9.5% chance of winning the lottery.

20/20

Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier have now both reached the 20-goal mark. They are the first duo in Islander history to each 20 games in the same season, prior to reaching their 21st birthday.

Barzal Is Highest Scoring Isles Rookie in 40 Years

Mathew Barzal is the third highest-scoring rookie in Islander history; he has a team-leading 60 assists and 82 points and needs three assists in the final two games to tie Bryan Trottier's franchise record.

Most Assists by an Islander Rookie

1. Bryan Trottier 63 1975-76

2. MATHEW BARZAL 60 2017-18 

Most Points by an Islander Rookie

1. Bryan Trottier 95 1975-76

2. Mike Bossy 91 1977-78

3. MATHEW BARZAL 82 2017-18 

Barzal will join Denis Potvin as the only rookies to ever lead the Isles in assists; he is two points behind John Tavares for the club lead in points.  Billy Harris, Potvin, Trent Hunter (tied) and John Tavares are the only rookies to ever lead the Isles in points.

Barzal Earning an "A" in History

Mathew Barzal is one of only eight rookies in NHL history with at least 60 assists in a season.   

1. Joe Juneau BOS 1992-93 70

Peter Stastny QUE 1980-81 70

3. Bryan Trottier NYI 1975-76 63

Sidney Crosby PIT 2005-06 63

5. Sergei Makarov CGY 1989-90 62

6. MATHEW BARZAL NYI 2017-18 60

Neal Broten MIN  1981-82 60

Larry Murphy LA 1980-81 60

The Isles are the only team in National Hockey League history to have two rookies record 60-assist seasons.

He is also one of only four rookies since 2000-01 with at least 82 points.

Most points by a rookie: last 18 seasons

1 Alex Ovechkin WSH2005-06 106

2 Sidney Crosby PIT 2005-06 102

3 Evgeni Malkin PIT 2006-07   85

4 MATHEW BARZAL NYI 2017-18   82

36 Goal Club

Anders Lee has 39 goals and John Tavares has 36.  They are the first Islander teammates with at least 36 goals since Pierre Turgeon, Steve Thomas and Benoit Hogue all did so in 1993-94 and the first to combine for at least 75 goals since Ziggy Palffy (48) and Bryan Smolinski (28) had 76 in 1996-97.

39 Goal Club

Anders Lee is only the 2nd Islander in the last 20 years to score 39 goals in a season:

1. Jason Blake 40 2006-07

2.    ANDERS LEE 39 2017-18

Lee is also the first Islander with multiple 34+ goal seasons since Ziggy Palffy (1995-96 to 1997-98). 

60 Helpers

Mathew Barzal has 60 assists; it's the highest total by an Islander since Pierre Turgeon had 74 helpers in 1992-93, which is the most by an Islander in the Post-Cup era.

Two Over 50

Barzal and Josh Bailey are the first Islander teammates with more than 50 assists since Mike Bossy (62) and Bryan Trottier (59) did so in 1985-86.

Pulock Moving up on Rookie Season Lists Too!

Pulock has 9 goals on the season; only two rookie defensemen (Denis Potvin-17 and Vladimir Malakhov-14) have scored more goals.  Ken Leiter, Chris Campoli and Tomas Jonsson also finished their rookie seasons with 9 goals.

Four of Pulock's goals have come on the power play.  Among Islander rookie defensemen, only Malakhov (7) and Potvin (6) have more.  Ken Leiter also scored four power play goals as a rookie.

Pulock is the 8th Islander rookie defenseman to record 30 points in his rookie season. 

Three's Company

Mathew Barzal has nine games of at least three points this season (six games with three points and three games with five points). Since 1993-94, only Sidney Crosby (11 times) and Artemi Panarin (10 times) have done so as often in their rookie seasons.

Five's Alive

The Isles have scored at least five goals 12 times at home (10-2-0) and 19 times overall (18-2-0). The Isles have also scored two shootout winners for a fifth goal of the game (not included above). 

Five's Trouble

The Isles have allowed at least five goals 13 times at home (1-10-2) and 22 times overall (1-19-2).  

First Things First

The Isles have scored first 38 times this season (23-10-5). The Isles won the first eleven times they scored first this season but are only 12-10-5 in the last 27 games that they scored first.

First Goal 

The Isles are 23-10-5 when they score first and are 10-27-5 when they allow the opening goal. 

The Shots

Isles      10-17-10=37

Philadelphia 10-6-15=31

The Isles are 9-15-5 when they outshoot their opponents, 0-1-0 when the shots are even, and 24-21-5 when they are outshot.  (The club record for wins while being outshot in one season is 25, set by the 1983-84 team)

Home and Road

The Islanders are 33-37-10 overall; 18-18-4 at home and 15-19-6 on the road.  

Philadelphia is 40-26-14 overall; 20-13-6 at home and 20-13-8 on the road.  

By Division & Conference

The Isles are 12-13-2 in Division games and 21-24-8 in games versus other divisions.  The Isles are 20-27-3 against the East and 13-10-7 against the West.  

Our House

The Isles are 18-18-4 at home; they are 11-14-0 against the East and 7-4-4 against the West.  However, after opening the season 8-0-2 on home ice, the Isles are 10-18-2 in their last 30 games in Brooklyn.

In the Nets

Thomas Greiss made 27 saves to improve to 12-8-2 on the season and 6-3-2 in his career against Philadelphia. It was the first time since December 14-19 that Greiss had played consecutive games.

Petr Mrazek made 32 saves but falls to 14-13-6 on the season and 6-4-1 in his career against the Isles. It was Mrazek's first appearance against the Isles since New York scored 4 power play goals on a major power play in a game against Detroit two months ago.

Power Plays

The Isles were 1-3 on the power play in 4:10 of PP time; Philadelphia was 2-2 on the power play in 2:30 of PP time.

The Isles are 20-16-3 when they score at least one power play goal and 13-21-7 when they do not.  The Isles are 18-26-3 when they allow at least one power play goal and 15-11-7 when they do not.    

Three is a Magic Number

The Isles are 31-15-5 when they score at least three goals (including shootout winners) and are 2-22-5 when they do not.  

One Goal Games

The Isles are 14-11-10 in games decided by a single goal including 5-11 in regulation. They are 6-7 in games decided in overtime and are 3-3 in shootouts.  The Isles are 4-4 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1 goal game into a 2-goal game.

Back-to-Backs

The Isles went 6-10-0 on the front-end of back-to-backs and 6-9-1 on the back-end this season.

 

Tired vs. Rested

• The Isles are 3-4-0 when both teams played the night before. 

• The Isles are 6-2-0 when they are rested, and their opponents are not. 

• The Isles are 3-5-1 when their opponents are rested, and the Isles are not.

• The Isles are 20-26-9 when both teams are rested. 

Ice-time Leaders

Isles: Adam Pelech (24:09); Philadelphia: Sean Couturier (22:46)

Mathew Barzal led Isles forwards with 18:01 of ice-time.

Face-offs

Isles 28, Philadelphia 29 (49%).

John Tavares won 12 of 18 for the Isles; Jori Lehtera won 4 of 6 for Philadelphia. 

Face-offs by period: 1st period 5/18; 2nd period 13/22; 3rd period 10/17.

Face-offs by strength: Even strength: 22/50, Power play 4/4, Penalty kill 2/3.

Hit Count

Isles 18 (Scott Mayfield-5)  

Philadelphia 18 (Brandon Manning and Radko Gudas-3)

Fights

There were no fights. Season total – 15: (Johnston 4, Boychuk 2, Mayfield 1, Cizikas 1, Chimera 1, Prince 1, Bailey 1, Eberle 1, Nelson 1, Clutterbuck 1, Seidenberg 1).

Blocked Shots

The Isles blocked 13 shots (Anthony Beauvillier-3).

For the Corsi Crowd 

All situations: Isles 62, Philadelphia 59 

5-on-5 Isles 53, Philadelphia 47

5-on-5 leaders:

Isles: Jordan Eberle +14

Philadelphia: Oskar Lindblom & Jordan Weal +6

Night and Day 

The Isles are 29-36-9 in night games and 4-1-1 in matinees.   All remaining games this season will be played at night.

Ironmen

Anders Lee 116, Brock Nelson 93, Mathew Barzal/John Tavares 80.

Scratches

(Nikolay Kulemin -IR), (Calvin deHaan-IR), (Shane Prince- IR), (Alan Quine-IR), Casey Cizikas-INJ, Brandon Davidson, Dennis Seidenberg

Total games lost: 315

Late Heroes

The Isles have scored five times in the final two minutes of regulation to either tie or take the lead:

10/9 – STL Blues – Anders Lee (19:00); tied game, but Isles lost in shootout

12/7 – PIT Penguins – Brock Nelson (18:50); tied game, but Isles lost in overtime

12/27- BUF Sabres – Josh Bailey (18:51); tied game, and Isles won in overtime

2/9 – DET Red Wings – Josh Bailey (18:11); took lead, Isles allowed tying goal but then won in overtime

3/5 – VAN Canucks – Jordan Eberle (18:56); tied game, but Isles lost in overtime

Late Goals Allowed

The Isles have allowed a goal six times in the final two minutes of regulation to either tie or win a game:

12/16 – LA Kings – Anze Kopitar (19:47); tied game, but Isles won in overtime

12/21—ANA Ducks – Rickard Rakell (18:45); tied game and Ducks won in overtime

2/6 – NAS Predators – Ryan Johansen (19:17); tied game and Predators won in overtime

2/9 – DET Red Wings – Mike Green (19:31); tied game but Isles won in overtime

2/11- CLG Flames – Mathew Tkachuk (18:55); won game

3/9 – EDM Oilers – Connor McDavid (18:10); tied game and Oilers won in shootout

Offside Challenges

The Isles have challenged four times and been successful three times.  The Isles are 2-1-0 in games they win the challenge and are 0-0-1 in games they lose the challenge.

• 10/10 vs STL Blues – unsuccessful; Isles killed ensuing power play.

• 10/12 @ Ana Ducks – successful

• 1/15 @ Mtl Canadiens – successful 

• 2/16 @ Car Hurricanes - successful

The opponents have not yet challenged an Islander goal due to an offside this season.

7-11

The Isles have used 7 defensemen six times this season (10/19 @NYR, 10/21 vs SJ, 1/16 vs. NJ, 3/2 vs. MTL, 3/30 vs. TOR, 3/31 @NJ) and are 2-4-0 in those games.  Under Doug Weight, the Isles are 6-4-0 when they dress seven natural defensemen.

All-time Islander Leader Boards:

Games Played (skaters)

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

…

6. Mike Bossy 752 *** 7. Josh Bailey 713*** 8. Patrick Flatley 712 *** 9. Brent Sutter 694 *** 10. John Tavares 667

Goals

1. Mike Bossy 573 *** 2. Bryan Trottier 500 *** 3. Denis Potvin 310 *** 4. Clark Gillies 304***

5. Pat LaFontaine and Brent Sutter 287 *** 7. John Tavares 271

…

17. Kyle Okposo 139 *** 18. Jason Blake 127 *** 19. Josh Bailey 124 *** 20. Anders Lee 123 

Assists

1. Bryan Trottier 853 *** 2. Denis Potvin 742 *** 3. Mike Bossy 553*** 4. Clark Gillies 359***

5.  John Tavares 349

…

13. Bobby Nystrom 278 *** 14. Billy Harris 259 *** 15. Josh Bailey 252

Points

1. Bryan Trottier 1353 *** 2. Mike Bossy 1126 *** 3. Denis Potvin 1052 *** 4. Clark Gillies 663 ***

5.  John Tavares 618

…

13. Billy Harris 443 *** 14. Josh Bailey 376 

Games Played (Goalies)

1. Billy Smith 674 *** 2. Rick DiPietro 318 *** 3. Glenn Resch 282 *** 4. Kelly Hrudey 241 ***

5. Tommy Salo 187 *** 6. Glenn Healy and Jaroslav Halak 176 

…

10. Garth Snow 127 *** 11.  Evgeni Nabokov 123 *** 12. Thomas Greiss 117

Wins (Goalie)

1. Billy Smith 304 *** 2. Glenn Resch 157 *** 3. Rick DiPietro 130***4. Kelly Hrudey 106 ***

5. Jaroslav Halak 87 *** 6.  Rollie Melanson 77*** 7. Glenn Healy 66 *** 8.  Tommy Salo 62 *** 

9. Thomas Greiss 61

Season Series Stats

The Isles win the season series three games to one (and six points to four). 

The Isles are 4-2-0 in their last six games and 4-2-2 in the last eight games against Philadelphia.

On the Farm

Leading-scorer Travis St. Denis scored the winning goal midway through the third period and Joshua Ho-Sang added two assists as Bridgeport improved to 35-27-5-3 with a 3-2 School Day matinee win over Providence.

 

St. Denis leads the team in both goals (23) and points (44). Christopher Gibson (who was returned to Bridgeport on Tuesday) is 18-11-3 in the nets with 4 shutouts.

The Sound Tigers have six games remaining; they will be played in two three-in-three weekends.  This weekend Bridgeport will visit Wilkes Barre on Friday and host the baby Penguins on Sunday.  In between, Bridgeport will host Providence on Saturday. 

Up Next

THURSDAY, APRIL 5th -- RANGERS AT ISLANDERS 7:00PM 

[MSG+2 (Islander pre-game at 6:30PM), WNYM 970AM, 88.7 WRHU-FM, 103.9 WRCN]

The Isles will close out the home portion of the 2017-18 season as they entertain the Rangers.  The Isles have won all three meetings this season and will be looking to sweep the season series for the second time in three years.  

The game will mark the final NHL game that will be worked by the legendary Stan Fischler.  Stan, who turned 86 over the weekend, is retiring after a truly amazing career.

Mathew Barzal, who scored his first NHL goal at Madison Square Garden in October, leads the entire NHL in points against the Rangers this season, tallying nine in the first three games.  Vladimir Malakhov is the only Islander rookie to score more points against the Rangers; Malakhov had ten in the 1992-93 season (in 6 games).  Pat LaFontaine had nine points in his rookie season against the Rangers.

Since expansion, Willi Plett (8-3-11) and Mario Lemieux (5-6-11) have the most points as rookies against the Blueshirts; however, both players appeared in seven games.

The Islanders need a victory to finish above NHL-.500 at Barclays Center for the third straight 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