The Skinny: Boston 4, Isles 0

"The Skinny"          

By Eric Hornick

Game 64

Boston 4, Isles 0

Charlie McAvoy scored a goal and added two assists while Tuukka Rask made 25 saves for his 4th shutout of the season as the Boston Bruins spoiled Butch Goring's number retirement with a 4-0 victory over Isles before a sellout crowd of 13,917 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.  

Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist to extend his point streak to nine games, but the shutout ended 5-game point streaks for both Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle.

 

With the loss, the Isles remain two points behind the third place Penguins (pending the result of Saturday's game) and three points behind second place Philadelphia. Only seven points separate 2nd place and 7th place in the Metro.

The Scoring:

1st Period

David Pastrnak (47) Torey Krug (36), Brandon Carlo (15) 04:30 BOS 1,NYI 0 

Matt Grzelcyk (3) Brad Marchand (56), Charlie McAvoy (25) 13:10 BOS 2,NYI 0

2nd Period

No Goals

3rd Period

Brad Marchand (27) Patrice Bergeron (25), Charlie McAvoy (26) 11:06 BOS 3,NYI 0

Charlie McAvoy (4) Torey Krug (37), David Krejci (28) 16:26 BOS 4,NYI 0 PPG 

The Skinny        

The Isles went 6-6-3 in February; they scored 35 goals in the nine games that they earned points but only three goals in their six regulation losses….It was the Isles' first regulation loss at home since January 18th, ending a  7-game point streak on home ice (5-0-2)…The loss also ended a 4-game Isles point streak (2-0-2) but left the Isles winless in three (0-1-2)…Brock Nelson played his 241st consecutive game, passing JP Parise for 7th place on the all-time club list…Since taking a 2-0 lead in St. Louis on Thursday, the Isles have allowed seven consecutive goals and gone scoreless for 107:49…The Isles had six power plays for the first time since November 23 in San Jose; it's the first time since October 30, 2014 (Semyon Varlamov in Colorado) that the Isles have been shutout in a game that they had at least six power plays…Keeping with the theme of the day, David Pastrnak's league-leading 47th goal produced his 91st point…The Isles were shutout at home for the first time since Rask blanked them at the Coliseum last March 19th; the Isles have now been shutout five times this season (and three time this month)…Cal Clutterbuck returned after missing 30 games (12-12-6)…This was the Isles' first Leap Day game since 2004; the Isles are now 1-3-1 on February 29th...Mathew Barzal played at least 20 minutes for the 29th time this season (matching his total for his first two NHL seasons combined); he has played at least 20 minutes in 10 straight games.

Most February Goals by an Islanders (2000s)

• 10 – Matt Moulson & Michael Grabner (2011)

• 9 – John Tavares (2013)

• 8 – Jordan Eberle (2020)

• 8- Trent Hunter (2007)

• 8- Mariusz Czerkawski (2004)

Most February Assists by an Islander in the Post-Cup Era

• 14- Mathew Barzal (2018)

• 14- John Tonelli (1985)

• 13- Mathew Barzal (2020)

• 13- Pierre Turgeon & Steve Thomas (1993)

Straight B's in Hockey 

An Islander with a surname starting with "B" has earned a point on 32 of the Isles' 38 goals this month. 

Last Season vs. This Season

The Isles are 35-21-8 thru 64 games this season; they were 37-20-7 thru 64 games last season.  Their 78 points in 64 games is tied the 3rd-highest in the Post-Cup era (84 points in 2014-15, 81 points last season, 81 in 2015-16).

It's Good to be Home(s)

The Isles are playing 28 of their 41 home games this season at the Coliseum.  The Isles are 13-8-2 on Coliseum ice where they have sold out six straight games (and ten games this season).  The Isles are 7-0-3 at Barclays Center this season and have not lost a regular season game in Brooklyn since January 12, 2019 (12-0-3); the remaining Brooklyn games are on March 3rd vs. Montreal, March 17th vs. Calgary, and March 22nd vs. Carolina.

Governor Cuomo announced before the February 29th game that all home playoff games this season and all home regular season and playoff games next season will be played at the Coliseum.

On the Road

The Isles are 15-13-3 on the road this season but are only 3-7-2 in the last 12 games.

Lots of Home Cooking 

The Isles are in a stretch in which they play six of eight games at home.  The Isles are 2-1-2 in this stretch.

• 2/21 Vs Red Wings (W 4-1)

• 2/23 Vs Sharks (W 4-1)

• 2/25 Vs Rangers (L 3-4 OT)

• 2/27 @ Blues (L 2-3 OT)

• 2/29 Vs Bruins (L 0-4)

• 3/3 Vs Canadiens (Barclays)

• 3/5 @ Senators

• 3/7 Vs Hurricanes (Coliseum)

Following these eight games, the Isles will play nine of the next twelve on the road before ending the season with three games at the Coliseum.

Coach Trotz

Barry Trotz is second among active coaches, trailing only Joel Quenneville, in both wins and games. Trotz' NHL record is 845-616-60-149 in 1,670 games, and he is now five wins shy of supplanting Ken Hitchcock as the 3rd-winningest coach in NHL history.

Most Coaching Wins

1. Scotty Bowman  1,244

2. Joel Quenneville  923

3. Ken Hitchcock    849

4. Barry Trotz    845

5. Al Arbour        782

Most Games Coached

1. Scotty Bowman   2,141

2. Joel Quenneville 1,701

3. Barry Trotz        1,670

4. Al Arbour 1,607

First Things First

The Isles are 23-7-4 when scoring first and are 12-14-4 when allowing the opening goal.

Highest Percentage of Games Won (Post-Cup Era) Allowing First Goal

• .545 (18-13-2) 2014-15

• .459 (17-18-2) 2018-19

• .410 (14-21-4) 1985-86

• .400 (12-14-4) 2019-20

The Shots

Isles    8-4-13=25

Boston 11-12-6=29

The Isles are 13-7-5 when they outshoot their opponents, 0-1-0 when the shots are even and 22-13-3 when they are outshot.  Under Barry Trotz, the Isles are 53-24-9 when outshot; the 53 wins are the most in the NHL.

Home and Road

The Islanders are 35-21-8 overall: 20-8-5 at home (13-8-2 on Long Island and 7-0-3 in Brooklyn) and 15-13-3 on the road.  

Boston is 41-13-12 overall: 22-3-9 at home and 19-10-3 on the road.  

By Division & Conference

The Isles are 11-7-3 in Division games and 24-14-5 in games versus other divisions.  The Isles are 25-11-4 against the East and 10-10-4 against the West.  

In the Nets

Semyon Varlamov made 25 saves; he is 19-13-5 on the season and 6-5-3 in his career against Boston.  

Tuukka Rask made 25 saves; he is 24-7-6 on the season and 17-5-1 (including two shutouts) against the Isles.   

Power Plays

The Isles were 0-6 in 10:20 of power play time; Boston was 1-3 in 4:07 of power play time.

The Isles are 13-5-3 when they score at least one power play goal and 22-16-5 when they do not.  The Isles are 14-9-2 when they allow at least one power play goal and 21-12-6 when they do not.

The Isles are 7-7-5 when they have more power plays than the opposition, 4-6-0 when the power plays are even, and 24-8-3 when the opposition has more power plays.

First 2 / Last 2     

The Isles have scored 15 goals and allowed 14 goals in the first two minutes of regulation periods.

The Isles have scored 13 goals and allowed 19 goals (excluding ENGs) in the last two minutes of regulation periods. 

Three is a Magic Number

The Isles are 31-2-4 when they score at least three goals (including shootout winners) and are 4-19-4 when they do not.  Under Barry Trotz, the Isles are 67-4-6 when scoring three or more, with two of the four regulation losses coming against Nashville.

One-Goal Games

The Isles are 16-6-8 in games decided by a single goal including 5-6 in regulation. They are 8-6 in games decided in overtime and are 3-2 in shootouts.  The Isles are 5-3 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1-goal game into a 2-goal game.

Tired vs. Rested 

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

• The Isles are 7-1-0 when they are rested, and their opponents are not. 

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

• The Isles are 22-19-7 when both teams are rested. 

Ice-time Leaders

Isles: Ryan Pulock (22:06); Boston: Brandon Carlo (22:59)

Mathew Barzal led Isles forwards with 20:49 of ice-time. It's the 10th straight game he has played at least 20 minutes.

Isles record by ice-time leader: Adam Pelech (9-2-0), Ryan Pulock (13-7-3), Devon Toews (3-6-2), Scott Mayfield (2-1-0), Nick Leddy (5-3-3), Brock Nelson (1-0-0), Mathew Barzal (2-2-0).

Highest Ice-Time by Isles Forwards Under Trotz

• 24:59 -  Mathew Barzal – 2/20/20 vs. DET

• 24:35 -  Mathew Barzal – 2/17/20 vs. ARI

• 24:35 - Brock Nelson – 11/9/19 vs. FLA (Career High)

• 24:27 – Mathew Barzal – 2/25/20 vs. NYR (Career High)

• 24:01 - Jordan Eberle – 2/17/20 vs. ARI

• 23:52 – Mathew Barzal – 12/15/18 vs. DET

• 23:23 - Mathew Barzal – 2/15/20 vs. VGK

• 23:15 - Anders Lee – 2/25/20 vs. NYR (Career High)

Face-offs

Isles 26, Boston 27 (49%)  

J-G Pageau won 12 of 19 for the Isles; David Krejci won 5 of 7 for Boston.

Hit Count

Isles 26 (Matt Martin -5)

Boston 14 (Joakim Nordstrom - 3)

 

Fights 

There were no fights.  Season total:15 – Johnston-6 (vs. FLA, vs PHL, vs TB, vs NYR, vs WAS, vs VGK), Cizikas-3 (vs. OTT, vs SJ, vs. LA), Lee-2 (vs FLA, vs VGK), Martin-2 (vs NYR, vs NAS), Mayfield (vs ANA), Pageau (vs NYR).

 

Blocked Shots

Isles 17 (Ryan Pulock -5)

Boston 23 (Patrice Bergeron -4)

The Isles lead the NHL with 1,105 blocked shots.

For the Analytics Crowd 

Corsi: All situations: Isles 61, Boston 53 

Corsi: 5-on-5 Isles 40, Boston 37

5-on-5 leaders:

Isles:  Brock Nelson +8

Boston: Karson Kuhlman +5

High Danger Scoring Chances (per Natural Stat Trick)

All situations: Isles 11, Boston 13 

5-on-5: Isles 10, Boston 9

Back-to-Backs

The Isles are 5-3-0 in the front-half and 6-1-1 in the back-half. The next back-to-back will be March 12th in Calgary and March 13th in Edmonton. Under Barry Trotz, the Isles are 17-2-2 in back-ends.

Night and Day

The Isles are 31-18-6 in night games and 4-3-2 in matinees. The next matinee will be on March 7th vs. Carolina. 

200 Game Club

The Isles have three players who have active consecutive game streaks of at least 200 games, and they are three of just 25 players in the NHL who have played every game since the start of the 2017-18 season.  It's the first time since November 25, 1978 that the Isles have had three players with streaks of at least 200 games.

Ironman Streaks: Anders Lee 264, Brock Nelson 241, Mathew Barzal 228, Ryan Pulock 191, Josh Bailey 149, Anthony Beauvillier 139, and Devon Toews 112.  No other Islander has played every game this season.

Iron Man

Anders Lee has passed Denis Potvin for the fourth-longest consecutive game streak while Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal have also moved into the top 10:

1. Billy Harris 10/7/1972 -11/30/1979 576 (*)

2. Bobby Nystrom 1/7/1975 - 11/25/1978 301

3. Matt Moulson 10/3/2009 - 4/4/2013 284

4. Anders Lee 1/26/2017 – CURRENT 264

5. Denis Potvin 11/29/1975 - 1/17/1979 262

6. John Tavares 10/16/2010 - 12/23/2013 246

7. Brock Nelson 3/16/2017 – CURRENT 241

8. J.P. Parise 1/7/1975 – 1/7/1978 240 (**)

9. Mathew Barzal 10/6/2017- CURRENT 228

10. Richard Park 10/5/2006 - 2/18/2009 221

 (*) Start of NHL career.

(**) Entire career with Islanders

Iron D

Ryan Pulock has the fourth-longest consecutive game streak of any defenseman in Islander history: 

1. Denis Potvin 11/29/1975-1/17/1979 262

2. Bryan McCabe 10/7/1995-2/4/1998 220 (*) (**)

3. Gerry Hart 3/1/1975-11/22/1977 198

4. Ryan Pulock 12/29/2017 – CURRENT 191

 (*) Start of NHL career.

(**) Entire career with Islanders

Scratches

(Adam Pelech-INJ), (Casey Cizikas-INJ), Ross Johnston, Noah Dobson, Tom Kuhnhackl, Andrew Ladd, Otto Koivula

Total games lost: 146.

Late Heroes 

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

10/14 vs. STL – Mathew Barzal scored at 19:33 and the Isles won in OT.

11/19 @ PIT – Ryan Pulock scored at 18:38 and the Isles won in OT.

2/1 vs VAN – Brock Nelson scored at 19:34, but the Isles lost in OT.

2/11 vs PHI – Ryan Pulock scored the winning goal at 19:19.

2/26 vs NYR – Brock Nelson scored at 19:42, but the Isles lost in OT

Late Goals Allowed

The Isles have allowed five goals in the final two minutes of regulation to either tie or win a game:

11/21 vs. PIT – Patric Hornqvist scored at 19:30, but the Isles won in OT.

12/14 vs. BUF -Jack Eichel scored at 18:14, but the Isles won in OT. 

1/16 vs. NYR- Chris Kreider scored the winning goal at 19:35.

2/11 vs. PHI – Sean Couturier scored at 18:28, but the Isles won in regulation.

2/27 vs. STL – Vince Dunn scored at 18:16, and the Blues won in OT.

Challenges

Isles: 4 successful, 2 failures (offside-11/19 vs. PIT), (offside-12/9 vs. TBL), (no goalie Interference 12/21 vs, ANA), (offside-1/6 vs. COL), (offside 1/21 vs NYR), (no goalie interference 2/25 vs NYR)

The Isles are 4-0-0 in games that they are successful and 0-0-2 in games that they are unsuccessful.

Opponents: 4 successful, 3 failures (Nelson-kick 10/8 vs. EDM), (Lee- no high stick 11/1 vs. TB), (Cizikas- no goalie interference 11/23 vs. SJ), (Komarov-goalie interference 1/2 vs. NJ),(no offside 1/18 vs WSH), (Lee-goalie interference 2/4 vs. DAL), (offside- 2/9 vs TBL)

The Isles are 1-1-1 in games where opponents' challenges go their way and 1-3-0 in games that go the opponent's way.

All-time Islander Leader Boards:

Games Played (skaters)

1. Bryan Trottier 1123 *** 2. Denis Potvin 1060 *** 3. Bob Nystrom 900 *** 4. Clark Gillies 872 *** 

5.  Josh Bailey 861…

17. John Tonelli 594 *** 18. Matt Martin 556 *** 19. Ken Morrow 550 *** 20. Duane Sutter 547 *** 21. Brock Nelson 544 *** 22. Lorne Henning 543 ***  23. Claude Lapointe 535 *** 24. Casey Cizikas 534

Goals

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

12. Billy Harris 184 *** 13. Anders Lee 171 *** 14. Ziggy Palffy 168 *** 15. Patrick Flatley 160 *** 16. Josh Bailey 153 *** 17. Pierre Turgeon and Brock Nelson 147

Assists

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

6.  John Tonelli 338 *** 7. Pat Flatley 328 *** 8. Brent Sutter 323 *** 9. Josh Bailey 320 …

20. Ed Westfall 181 *** 21. Kenny Jonsson 175 *** 22. Duane Sutter and Alexei Yashin 171*** 24. Nick Leddy 168

Points

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

11. Derek King 499 *** 12. Patrick Flatley 488 *** 13. Josh Bailey 473…

20. Ziggy Palffy 331 ***  21. Anders Lee 297  ***22. Mariusz Czerkawski 295 *** 23. Duane Sutter 292 *** 24. Brock Nelson 291

Games Played (Goalies)

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

5. Thomas Greiss 191

Wins (Goalie)

1. Billy Smith 304 *** 2. Glenn Resch 157 *** 3. Rick DiPietro 130*** 4. Kelly Hrudey 108***

5.   Thomas Greiss 101

Shutouts (Goalie)

1. Glenn Resch 25 *** 2. Billy Smith 22 *** 3. Rick DiPietro 16 *** 4. Tommy Salo 14***

5. Jaroslav Halak 12 *** 6.  Thomas Greiss 10

Games Coached 

1. Al Arbour 1,500 *** 2. Jack Capuano 483 *** 3. Mike Milbury 192 …

6. Peter Laviolette 164 *** 7. Ted Nolan 163 *** 8. Butch Goring 154 *** 9. Barry Trotz 146

 

Coaching Wins

1. Al Arbour 740 *** 2. Jack Capuano 227 *** 3. Barry Trotz 82

Season Series Stats

Boston wins the season series 2 games to 1 (and 5 points to 3).

 

The Isles are 0-9-1 in their last 10 home games against Boston.  

On the Farm   

The Sound Tigers beat Providence 6-3 on Friday but fell 3-1 to Hartford on Saturday;  Kieffer Bellows scored a pair of goals while Thomas Hickey had a 3-assist period on Friday. Bridgeport will host Hartford on Saturday and Binghamton on Sunday. 

Up Next

TUESDAY, MARCH 3rd  -  MONTREAL AT ISLANDERS AT BARCLAYS CENTER –7:00 PM

[MSG+ (pre-game at 6:30), 88.7 WRHU-FM, WRCN 103.9FM, ESPN-1050]

Following a pair of off days, the Isles host Montreal at Barclays Center.

It's the second meeting of the season between the teams; the Canadiens beat the Isles 4-2 at Bell Centre on December 3rd.

The Isles are 1-4-1 in their last six games with Montreal and have scored only 11 goals in the six games. 

The teams will conclude the season series in Montreal on March 28th.

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 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