The Skinny: Isles 3, Philadelphia 2 (SO)

"The Skinny"      

By Eric Hornick

Game 40

Isles 3, Philadelphia 2 (SO)

For the second straight game, Brock Nelson was the first to score and the last to score.  Nelson scored 6:10 into play to get the Isles rolling and later scored the only goal of the shootout as the Islanders extended their winning streak to four games and moved into sole possession of first place in the East, with a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers before a socially-distanced crowd of 1,400 at Nassau Coliseum. 

Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves to improve to 7-0-0 at the Coliseum and has now won all three shootouts he has been in this season.

The win, coupled with the Capitals' 4-2 loss to Boston, moves the Isles two points ahead of Washington.  The Penguins beat the Rangers tonight; they trail the Isles by four points and the Caps by two.  All three teams have 16 games to play.

The Isles trail Toronto and Carolina by one point in the President's Trophy race.  They can pass both teams and become the first team to reach 58 points with a victory on Friday (Colorado can reach 58 points later on Friday).

The Scoring:

1st Period

Brock Nelson (15) Ryan Pulock (14), Anthony Beauvillier (7) 06:10 PHI 0,NYI 1

Jordan Eberle (14) Leo Komarov (5) 07:13 PHI 0 ,NYI 2

Nicolas Aube-Kubel (3) 13:53 PHI 1 ,NYI 2

2nd Period

Jakub Voracek (7) Claude Giroux (20), Travis Konecny (18) 03:22 PHI 2,NYI 2

3rd Period

No Goals

OT

No Goals

The Skinny        

The Isles are 7-4-0 since the end of their 9-game win streak (and 12-game point streak) … The Isles are 4-7-2 against Pittsburgh and Washington (4-0-2 at home and 0-7-0 on the road); they are 22-3-2 vs. their other opponents… Lou Lamoriello won his 1,320th game as a General Manager, passing Glen Sather for second place on the all-time list…Matt Martin became the 15th Islander to appear in 600 games as Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac became the 512th and 513th skater to appear in an Islander regular season game….Brock Nelson is 3-4-7 in the last nine games; Nelson now leads the Isles with 15 goals, one more than Jordan Eberle (who is 4-2-6 in his last six games) …Nelson played in his 285th consecutive game, breaking a tie with Matt Moulson for 4th place on the all-time Isles list…Mathew Barzal led the Isles led the Isles with six shots on goal; he also led the team with three blocks (after have 9 in the first 39 games)…The Flyers are 6-10-2 in their last 18 games….The Isles killed both Flyer power plays, dropping the Flyers to 1-18 on the season against the Isles…Samuel Morin was ejected for boarding Casey Cizikas in the first period.

The Shootout

• Jordan Eberle (NG) / Sean Couturier (NG)

• Anthony Beauvillier (NG) / Nolan Patrick (NG)

• Mathew Barzal (NG)/ Claude Giroux (NG)

• Josh Bailey (NG)/ Travis Konecny (NG)

• Brock Nelson (G/GDG)/ Joel Farabee (NG)

The Isles now have 86 shootout wins all-time, extending their NHL record (Pittsburgh has 83)… Brock Nelson scored the deciding goal on his first shootout attempt of the season and improved to 7-18 in his career in shootout attempts. It was his fifth career game-deciding goal; among current Islanders only Josh Bailey (6) has more shootout winners as an Islander…Ilya Sorokin is 3-0 in shootouts and has stopped his last twelve attempts (12-13 overall, with Nikita Gusev scoring the only goal)…No team has been less successful in shootout history than the Flyers, who are 51-92 all-time in shootouts…The Isles are 9-3 vs. Philly all-time in shootouts, winning nine of the last ten….The Isles have won six straight OT/SO games after starting the season 0-4 (and going 0-8 back to last season).

Magic Number Time

The Islanders' magic number for clinching a playoff spot is now 21 (over the Flyers).

Sorokin's Shining

Ilya Sorokin is 10-1-0 in his last ten starts (1.77, .929).  Among goalies who have played at least 10 games in that span, only Juuse Soros (1.34) has a lower goals against average.  

Sorokin is 7-0-0 at home.  He is the third goalie in NHL history to win his first seven career starts in one season (Harry Lumley for Detroit in 1944-45 and Jaroslav Halak for Montreal in 2006-07).  Three others have won at least seven straight over multiple seasons.

Only one NHL rookie goalie in the last 39 years has won as many as eight straight at home in a single season- Semyon Varlamov did that in 2009-10 for Washington.

Most Wins by an Islander Rookie Goalie (one season):

1. Chico Resch 23 (1975-76)

2. Roland Melanson 22 (1981-82)

3. Kelly Hrudey 19 (1984-85)

4. Chico Resch 12 (1974-75)

5. Ilya Sorokin 10 (2020-21)

(Resch appeared in 25 games in 1974-75 and thus was considered a rookie the following year; Sorokin will be a rookie next season as well if he does not appear in 26 games)

Varly Streaking

Semyon Varlamov is 9-3-1 in his last thirteen decisions, allowing just 30 goals in that span.  Varly has won 16 games this season with a goals against average of 2.18 and save percentage of .922.  Varlamov now has 248 NHL wins and 31 shutouts, including four this season.  It is the first time since 2014-15 (5) that Varly has had at least four shutouts in a season.

Home Sweet Home

The Isles have earned points in 19 of their first 20 home games (17-1-2), remaining tied with the 1978-79 team for the most in club history through 20 games:

Most Points at Home Through 20 Games

• 36 2020-21 (17-1-2)

• 36 1978-79 (16-0-4)

• 32 Three times

Top of the Chart

The Isles now have 56 points in 40 games; it is the most points that they have had through 40 games in the Post-Cup era:

• 56 2020-21

• 53 2013-14

• 53 2019-20

Solid D

The Isles have allowed only 92 goals (including 1 shootout winner) in 40 games; it is the fewest goals that they have allowed through 40 games in their history:

• 92 (2020-21)

• 99 (2015-16) 

• 99 (1977-78)

• 100 (1975-76)

Results vs. Each East Division Opponent

• Boston W-W-W-Wso-Wot Remaining games: 3  (0 home, 3 away)

• Buffalo W-W-W-W-W-W         Remaining games: 2  (0 home, 2 away)

• New Jersey W-L-W-W-W-Wso Remaining games: 2  (2 home, 0 away)

• Rangers     W-L-W Remaining games: 5  (4 home, 1 away)

• Philadelphia Lot-Lot-L-W-Wot-Wso-Wso Remaining games:1  (0 home, 1 away)

• Pittsburgh W-Lso-L-L-Lot-W-L-L         Remaining games: 0

• Washington L-L-L-W-W         Remaining games: 3  (2 home, 1 away)

Home Cooking

This was the fourth game in a stretch where the Isles will play six straight games at home.  The Isles are 4-0-0 in this stretch:

• WAS W 8-4

• PHI  W 3-2 (SO)

• WSH W 1-0

• PHI  W 3-2 (SO) 

• NYR Friday 

• NYR Sunday 

Following this stretch, 8 of the final 14 will be on the road.

Home and Road

The Isles are 26-10-4 overall; they are 17-1-2 at home and 9-9-2 on the road.

Philadelphia is 18-15-6 overall; they are 8-8-3 at home and 10-7-3 on the road.

Coach Trotz

Barry Trotz is second among active coaches, trailing only Joel Quenneville, in both wins and games. Trotz' NHL record is 871-628-60-155 in 1,714 games. 

Most Coaching Wins

1. Scotty Bowman  1,244

2. Joel Quenneville    951

3. Barry Trotz    871

Most Games Coached

1. Scotty Bowman   2,141

2. Joel Quenneville  1,745

3. Barry Trotz         1,714

Sweet Lou

Lou Lamoriello has moved into second place in wins among general managers in NHL history:

1. David Poile 1,437

2. Lou Lamoriello 1,320

3. Glen Sather 1,319

It All Starts at the Top

Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz have 2,191 wins between them.  They start each game with more than any other pair in NHL history (David Poile and Peter Laviolette had 2,036 after their last game together).   Bill Torrey and Al Arbour had a then-record 1,462 at the end of the 1991-92 season, which was their last season together.  

First Things First

The Isles are 17-1-2 when scoring first and are 9-9-2 when allowing the opening goal. 

The Isles have won 85.0% of the games that they have scored first, matching Edmonton for the league lead and just ahead of  Los Angeles (.846).  St. Louis is the only other team with one regulation loss but their record when scoring first is 7-1-5.

The Shots

Isles    9-6-6-2=23

Philadelphia    7-8-10-2=27

The Isles are 16-5-2 when they outshoot their opponents, 1-1-0 when the shots are even and 9-4-2 when they are outshot.  Under Barry Trotz, the Isles are 62-29-12 when outshot.

In the Nets

Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves (and stopped all five in the shootout) to improve to 10-3-1 on the season and 4-0-1 in his career against Philadelphia. He has won all three of his shootout games.

Carter Hart made 21 saves; he is 8-10-5 on the season and 2-3-2 in his career against the Isles.  Hart is 4-7 in career shootout appearances.

Special Teams

The Isles were 0-3 on the power play (8:55), including an unsuccessful major power play; Philadelphia was also 0-2 (3:57).

The Isles are 10-4-3 when they score at least one power play goal and 16-6-1 when they do not.  The Isles are 6-8-2 when they allow at least one power play goal and 20-2-2 when they do not.

Three is (Usually) a Magic Number

The Isles are 19-3-3 when they score at least three goals (including shootout winners) and are 7-7-1 when they do not.  Under Barry Trotz, the Isles are 85-8-10 when scoring three or more.

One-Goal Games

The Isles are 12-4-4 in games decided by a single goal including 6-4 in regulation. They are 2-3 in games decided in overtime and are 4-1 in shootouts.  The Isles are 0-0 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1-goal game into a 2-goal game.

Back-to-Backs

Including tonight, the Isles are 4-0-2 in the front-half and 4-0-1 in the back-half. This back-to-back concludes Friday vs. the Rangers. The next back-to-back is scheduled for April 15th/16th, both of which will be played in Boston.

 

Under Barry Trotz, the Isles are 21-2-3 (.865) in back-ends. This is by far the best record of any NHL team in back-ends during this stretch.  Tampa Bay has the next best record: 19-7-3 (.707).

Series

The schedule as currently comprised has the Isles playing the same opponent in consecutive games seventeen times this season (including three-game stretches vs. the Sabres, Devils, Flyers, and Capitals).

  

In two-game series, the Isles are 3-3-2 in the first game and 2-5-1 in the second game:

NYR (W/L); NJ (W/L); WAS (L/L); PHI (Lot/Lot), BUF(W/W), PIT (L/L), PIT (Lot/W), PIT (L/L)

In three-game series, the Isles are 2-1-0 in the first game, 3-0-0 in the second game, and 3-0-0 in the third:

BUF (W/W/W), NJ (W/W/W), PHI (L/W/Wot)

Tired vs. Rested 

• The Isles are 4-0-1 when both teams played the night before. 

• The Isles are 1-2-0 when they are rested, and their opponents are not. 

• The Isles are 0-0-0 when their opponents are rested, and the Isles are not.

• The Isles are 21-8-3 when both teams are rested. 

Ice-time Leaders

Isles: Ryan Pulock (23:33); Philadelphia: Ivan Provorov (29:59)

Jean-Gabriel Pageau led Isles forwards with a season-high 20:37 of ice-time. 

Isles record by ice-time leaders: Nick Leddy (9-3-0), Ryan Pulock (13-5-3), Scott Mayfield (1-1-0), Mathew Barzal (1-1-1), Adam Pelech (2-0-0).

Face-offs

Isles 26, Philadelphia 33 (44%)

No Islander won more draws than he lost; Claude Giroux won 15 of 21 for Philadelphia.

The Isles are 15-6-2 when they win more face-offs than the opposition, 0-1-1 when they are tied, and 10-3-1 when they win fewer.

Hit Count

Isles 29 (Leo Komarov and Matt Martin -4)

Philadelphia 14 (Four with 2)

Fights 

There were no fights.  Season total: 4 (Cizikas -1, Wahlstrom -1, Martin -1, Johnston-1)

 

Blocked Shots

Isles 19 (Mathew Barzal -3)

Philadelphia 10 (Robert Hagg-3)

For the Analytics Crowd 

Corsi: All situations: Isles 42, Philadelphia 56

Corsi: 5-on-5: Isles 29, Philadelphia 41

5-on-5 leaders:

Isles:  Leo Komarov and Jordan Eberle +2

Philadelphia: Robert Hagg +16

High Danger Scoring Chances (per Natural Stat Trick)

All situations: Isles 13, Philadelphia 13

5-on-5: Isles 9, Philadelphia 7

The Isles lead the NHL with 405 high-danger chances 5-on-5 and are 2nd in all-situation high-danger chances with 503.

Scratches

Ross Johnston, Sebastian Aho, Cory Schneider, (Anders Lee-LTIR), (Michael DalColle -IR)

Games Lost: 38

COVID Games Lost -6

250-Game Club

The Isles have two players who have active consecutive game streaks of at least 250 games, and they are two of just 14 players in the NHL whose streak began no later than the start of the 2017-18 season.   

Ironman Streaks: Brock Nelson 285, Mathew Barzal 272, Ryan Pulock 235, Josh Bailey 193.  All four players have appeared in every game since Barry Trotz became the Isles' coach.

Iron Man

Brock Nelson has the longest active streak (and now has the 4th-longest in club history); Mathew Barzal is 6th on this list while Ryan Pulock is 10th:

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

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

3. Anders Lee 1/26/2017 – 3/13/2021 295

4. Brock Nelson 3/16/2017 – CURRENT 285

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

6. Mathew Barzal 10/6/2017- CURRENT 271

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

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

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

10. Ryan Pulock 12/29/2017 – CURRENT 235

 (*) Start of NHL career.

(**) Entire career with Islanders

Pulock's streak is the 2nd-longest by an Islander defenseman, trailing only Denis Potvin's 262-game streak.

Challenges

Isles: 1 successful, 0 failures 

The Isles are 1-0-0 in games that they are successful and 0-0-0 in games that they are unsuccessful.(offsides 2/16 @BUF)

Opponents: 1 successful, 1 failure (goalie interference 1/14 @ NYR, no goalie interference 3/11 vs NJ)

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

Last Minute Heroes:

The Isles have scored one goal and allowed four goals in the final three minutes of the third period that were either the winning goal or forced overtime:

For: 1 [Anders Lee, 2/6/21 vs PIT (17:14) -winning goal]

Vs:  4 [Justin Schultz, 1/26/21 @ WSH (19:33)-winning goal; Evgeni Malkin, 2/11/21 vs PIT (19:42) – tying goal/PIT won in OT; Oskar Lindblom, 3/18/21 vs PHI (17:38)-winning goal; Anders Bjork, 3/25/21 vs BOS (17:54) – tying goal/Isles won in OT]

All-time Islander Leader Boards:

Games Played (skaters)

1. Bryan Trottier 1,123 *** 2. Denis Potvin 1,060 *** 3. Josh Bailey 905…

14. Frans Nielsen 606 *** 15. Matt Martin 600 *** 16. Kenny Jonsson 597 *** 17. Garry Howatt 596 *** 18. John Tonelli 594 ***19. Brock Nelson 588 *** 20. Casey Cizikas 574 … 

27. Kyle Okposo 529 *** 28. Anders Lee 520 *** 29. Cal Clutterbuck 516 *** 30. Dave Lewis 514 *** 31. Richard Pilon and Mick Vukota 509 *** 33. Nick Leddy 502

Goals

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

11. John Tonelli 206 *** 12. Billy Harris and Anders Lee 184 *** 14. Ziggy Palffy 168 *** 15. Brock Nelson 165 *** 16. Patrick Flatley and Josh Bailey 160

Assists

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

4. Clark Gillies 359 *** 5. John Tavares 349 *** 6.  Josh Bailey 340 …

19. Pierre Turgeon 193 *** 20. Nick Leddy 192

Points

1. Bryan Trottier 1,353 *** 2. Mike Bossy 1,126 *** 3. Denis Potvin 1,052…

9. Bob Bourne 542 *** 10. Bob Nystrom 513 *** 11. Josh Bailey 500…

20. Ziggy Palffy 331 ***  21. Anders Lee 320  *** 22.  Brock Nelson 319

Games Coached 

1. Al Arbour 1,500 *** 2. Jack Capuano 483 *** 3. Mike Milbury 192 *** 4. Barry Trotz 190

 

Coaching Wins

1. Al Arbour 740 *** 2. Jack Capuano 227 *** 3. Barry Trotz 109

On the Farm

Bridgeport is 3-11-1-0 on the season (2-3-0-0 vs. Hartford and 1-7-1-0 vs. Providence) following a 7-21 loss to the Wolfpack on Wednesday. Tanner Fritz and Bode Wilde scored for the Sound Tigers; it was Wilde's first professional goal.

Bridgeport returns to action on Tuesday when they host Hartford.

Season Series Stats

The Isles lead the season series 4 games to 3 (and 10 points to 9). 

The Isles are 4-1-2 and Philadelphia is 3-1-3.

The teams will meet in Philadelphia on April 18 to wrap up the season series.

The Isles lead this regular season series by the same 4-3 margin that they eliminated the Flyers in last year's playoffs and are 8-1-2 in their last 11 regular season games against Philadelphia.

UP NEXT

FRIDAY, APRIL 9th  – RANGERS AT ISLANDERS 7:00pm

[MSG+ [pre-game at 6:30], WRHU 88.7 FM, WRCN 103.9FM, WNYM 970]

It has been two months since the Isles and Rangers last played, and 13 ½ months since the teams have met at Nassau Coliseum.  Those streaks will end on Friday when the teams play the first of five games in a 23-day span to complete their season series.

The first three meetings were all at Madison Square Garden and all three ended in a shutout.  Semyon Varlamov blanked the Blueshirts on January 14th (4-0) and February 8th (2-0) while Alexandar Georgiev did so for the Blueshirts on January 16th (5-0).

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