"The Skinny"
By Eric Hornick
Game 58
Isles 2, Boston 1
Ilya Sorokin made 38 saves, allowing only a goal off a Tony DeAngelo deflection, and the Isles got goals from Alexander Romanov and Kyle Palmieri for a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins before a sellout crowd of 17,850 at TD Garden.
The win, only the second in the last seven games (2-5-0), also ended a four-game losing streak. David Pastrnak had the only Bruin goal, extending his point streak to a career-high 16 games, and reaching the 800-point mark.
The Isles are 26-25-7 as they head home to face Nashville at 12:30pm on Saturday.
The Scoring:
1st Period
Alexander Romanov (4) Jean-Gabriel Pageau (18), Ryan Pulock (14) 16:11 NYI 1,BOS 0
2nd Period
Kyle Palmieri (18) Brock Nelson (21), Adam Pelech (15) 04:21 NYI 2,BOS 0
3rd Period
David Pastrnak (31) Parker Wotherspoon (2), Pavel Zacha (23) 10:04 NYI 2,BOS 1
The Skinny
After allowing 19 goals in the prior four games, the Isles allowed only one goal tonight…The Isles have been outscored 70-57 in the third period and overtime; the Isles are much improved in third period and OT in the last sixteen games, outscoring their opponents 20-13…All three goals in this game were scored at 5-on-5; the Isles have scored 117 goals and allowed 107 goals at 5-on-5 but have been outscored 64-39 in all other situations… The Isles have been tied or ahead at some point in the third period in 33 of the last 46 games… The Isles have outscored the opposition 60-54 in the second period this season; they were outscored 107-83 in the second period a season ago… After allowing three goals in seven times short over the last three games, the Isles killed all three Bruin power plays … The Isles went 0-2 on the power play; over the last 27 games, the Isles have been outscored 14-4 on the power play…It was the 650th consecutive sellout (regular season and playoffs) at TD Garden…Alex Romanov's four goals have come in a pair of two-game goal streaks…Robert Lang and Jaromir Jagr are the only other players from Czechia to have a 16-game point streak…Each of the last two Isles wins have come by a 2-1 score…Brock Nelson tied his career-high with a four-game assist streak; Nelson is one assist behind Bobby Nystrom and two behind Pat LaFontaine (for 14th place in club history)….Kyle Palmieri has four goals in the last five games, and six goals in the last nine games…The Isles end February with a 3-5-0 record; Kyle Palmieri (5 goals) was the only Islander to score more than twice.
First Times in a Long Time
The Isles earned a regulation win in Boston for the first time since January 16, 2017, when Thomas Greiss blanked the Bruins in Jack Capuano's final game as Isles head coach.
Quite The Rebound
In a town where rebounding has always been important, Ilya Sorokin turned his numbers upside down from Tuesday:
• Tuesday 11 shots against, 5 hi danger chances, 5 goals allowed, expected goals 1.12
• Thursday 39 shots against, 16 hi-danger chances, 1 goal allowed, expected goals 4.69
Milestone Man
Casey Cizikas played his 873rd game, passing Clark Gillies for 6th place in club history.
Quite the Numbers
Marcus Hogberg has now played 332 minutes for the Isles, allowing eight goals on 151 shots for a 1.45 GAA and a .947 save percentage. Both the GAA and save percentage are the best in Islander history for any goalie who played multiple games. He is the 44th goalie to win multiple games for the Isles.
Third Periods
Goals: Isles 53, Opponents 65
Tying Goals: Isles 6, Opponents 13 (in 12 games)
Go Ahead Goals: Isles 10 (in 9 games), Opponents 9
Empty Net Goals: Isles 10, Opponents 16
The Isles have either been ahead or tied after two periods in 36 of their 58 games. In the 22 games that they have trailed through 40 minutes (3-18-1), they have been within one goal at some point in all but five of them (10/12 @ DAL, 12/5 vs SEA, 12/17 @ CAR, 12/23 vs BUF, 2/25 vs NYR)
Did Somebody Say Comeback?
The Isles have twelve come-from behind wins this season, including three when they trailed in the third period. The opponents have come-from-behind to win twelve times this season, including seven times in the third period.
Overtime
The Isles are 4-6 in games decided by an overtime goal, and they are 2-1 in shootouts. Ilya Sorokin is 4-4 in overtime and 1-0 in shootouts, while Semyon Varlamov is 0-2 in overtime and 1-1 in shootouts.
Sorokin has 34 OT/SO losses, extending his club record (Rick DiPietro had 28).
Empty Netters
The Isles have scored 10 empty-net goals and allowed 16.
Building on a Lead
The Islanders have had a two-goal lead 37 times this season:
• Score the next goal: 14 times
• Allowed the next goal: 18 times
• Game ended with 2-goal difference: 5 times
Last Year vs. This Year
• 2024-25 26-25-7 for 59 points in 58 games
• 2023-24 24-20-14 for 62 points in 58 games
Offense from Defense
• Today: 1-2-3
• Season: 21-86-107
• Last Season (Final) 33-137-170
The Islander defense scored only four times in the first 26 games but have 17 goals in the last 32 games.
Home and Road
The Isles are 26-25-7 overall; they are 13-13-2 at home and 13-12-5 on the road.
Boston is 27-25-8 overall; they are 18-10-5 at home and 9-15-3 on the road.
East and West
The Isles are 17-16-3 against the East (8-6-2 vs. Metropolitan and 9-10-1 vs. Atlantic) and 9-9-4 against the West (5-5-2 vs. Central and 4-4-2 vs. Pacific).
Sweet Lou
Lou Lamoriello has the second-highest win total for any general manager in NHL history:
1. David Poile 1,531
2. Lou Lamoriello 1,470
3. Glen Sather 1,319
Leaders of the Pack
Lou Lamoriello (1,470) and Patrick Roy (176) have combined for 1,646 career wins as general manager and coach. That is the highest in the NHL among active combinations by a wide margin.
First Things First
The Isles are 13-5-4 when scoring first and are 13-20-3 when allowing the opening goal.
The Shots
Isles 6-7-7=20
Boston 15-11-13=39
The Isles are 12-17-3 when they outshoot their opponents, 1-1-0 when the shots are even and 13-7-4 when the opposition has more shots.
In the Nets
Ilya Sorokin made 38 saves; he is 21-18-4 this season and 4-3-2 vs. Boston.
Jeremy Swayman made 18 saves; he is 18-19-6 this season and 1-1-0 vs the Isles.
Special Teams
The Isles were 0-2 (4:00); Boston was 0-3 (6:00).
The Isles are 9-3-1 when they score at least one power play goal and 17-22-6 when they do not. The Isles are 10-13-6 when they allow at least one power play goal and 16-12-1 when they do not.
Three is (Usually) a Magic Number
The Isles are 23-8-4 when they score at least three goals (including shootout winners) and are 3-17-3 when they do not.
One-Goal Games
The Isles are 12-7-7 in games decided by a single goal including 6-7 in regulation. They are 4-6 in games decided in overtime and are 2-1 in shootouts. The Isles are 3-8 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1-goal game into a 2-goal game.
Back-to-Backs
The Isles are 5-2-1 on the front end and 3-5-0 on the back end this season. The next back-to-back will be March 3rd -4th when they visit the Rangers and host the Jets.
Ice-time Leaders
Isles: Alex Romanov (24:29); Boston: David Pastrnak (23:55)
Simon Holmstrom led Isles forwards (career-high 21:53).
Face-offs
Isles 29, Boston 27 (52%)
Bo Horvat won 9 of 15 for the Isles; Pavel Zacha won 8 of 12 for Boston.
Hit Count
Isles 20 (Six with 2)
Boston 33 (Cole Koepke -7)
Fights
Season total: 8 (Mayfield, Wahlstrom, Martin-2, Pageau, Tsyplakov, Gatcomb, Cizikas)
Blocked Shots
Isles 25 (Alexander Romanov -4)
Boston 18 (Two with 3)
For the Analytics Crowd
Corsi: All situations: Isles 58, Boston 93
Corsi: 5-on-5: Isles 49, Boston 66
5-on-5 leaders:
Isles: Noah Dobson +8
Boston: Andrew Peeke +24
High Danger Scoring Chances (per Natural Stat Trick)
All situations: Isles 12, Boston 16
5-on-5: Isles 11, Boston 12
Scratches
(Mike Reilly-LTIR), (Semyon Varlamov-LTIR), (Mathew Barzal – IR), (Margus Hogberg -IR), (Matt Martin-IR), Scott Mayfield, Pierre Engvall, Scott Perunovich
Games Lost to injury: 226. (Last season's total: 181)
The Ironmen
Brock Nelson is the Islanders' ironman, having played 224 consecutive games. Kyle Palmieri (174) has also played every game since the start of last season.
Most Overtime Goals, Career (Islanders)
1. John Tavares 11
2. Brock Nelson 9
3. Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey 6
5. Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Thomas Hickey, and Anthony Beauvillier 5
Most Overtime Assists, Career (Islanders)
1. Mathew Barzal 16
2. John Tavares 12
Most Overtime Points, Career (Islanders)
1. John Tavares 23
2. Mathew Barzal 21
3. Brock Nelson 19
Barzal has a point on 21 of the 43 overtime goals that the Isles have scored since he became a regular in 2016-17.
National TV Games
The Isles are 2-3-0 in games that air on one of the NHL's US national broadcast partners, with four games remaining. The next national game will stream April 1st on ESPN+/Hulu as the Isles host the Lightning; four of the last nine games will be nationally-televised. Note that the April 12th game in Philadelphia will now be an Islander local telecast.
Matinee Isles
The Isles are 0-4-1 in matinee games this season, with six games remaining. The next matinee will be on March 1st vs Nashville. The NHL considers games that start before 5:00 local time to be afternoon contests. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Isles are 13-16-11 in matinees.
Challenges
Isles: 6 successful, 3 failures (No offsides -PIT 11/5, No goalie interference – SEA 11/16, Goalie Interference- WAS 11/29, goalie interference – TOR 12/31, no goalie interference – BOS 1/5, offsides-VEG 1/9, goalie interference – OTT 1/14, goalie interference – COL 1/28, goalie interference – PHI 1/30)
Opponents: 5 successful, 2 failures (No Goalie Interference -UTA 10/10, Offside-VAN 11/14, Goalie Interference-STL 11/23, Offside -BUF 11/30, No Goalie Interference-CHI 12/15, Goalie Interference – PIT 12/28. Offside 12/31)
Quickies (Two goals in under a minute)
For (2): CHI 12/12, PHI 1/24
Vs (2): CHI 12/15, MIN 2/8
Quick Responses (One team scoring within a minute of other team)
Isles responses (6): BUF 11/1, CAR 12/7, BOS 1/5, SJ 1/18, MIN 2/8, DAL 2/23
Opponent responses (6): UTA 10/10 (2), SEA 11/16, CHI 12/15, TOR 12/31, BOS 1/5
Multi-Goal 3rd Period Comeback Wins
For (1): Vs. PIT 11/5 (Trailed 3-1, won 4-3 (SO))
Vs (2): Vs. NJ 11/9 (Led 3-1, Lost 4-3 (OT)), WSH 11/29 Led 4-2, Lost 5-4 (SO))
Last Minute Heroes (Tying or go-ahead goals in the final three minutes of the third period):
For (3): Maxim Tsyplakov 10/10 vs. UTA (17:53, GAG but lost in OT); Anders Lee 11/12 @ EDM (17:20-GTG; EDM won in OT); Mathew Barzal 1/11 vs UTA (18:35-GAG)
Vs (8): Josh Doan 10/10 vs. UTA (18:06- GTG; UTA won in OT); Cole Caufield 10/19 vs MTL (17:50-GTG; NYI won in SO); Jesper Bratt 10/25 at NJD (18:31-GTG; NYI won in OT); Stefan Noesen 11/9 vs NJ (19:10-GTG; NJD won in OT); Lucas Raymond 11/21 at DET (19:09-GAG); 12/15 Connor Bedard at CHI (19:06-GAG); Bobby McMann 1/2 vs. TOR (17:01- GAG); Nikita Kucherov 2/1 at TB (19:13-GTG; NYI won in OT)
OT Winners
For (4): Bo Horvat 10/25 @ NJD (1:09), Bo Horvat 1/5 @ BOS (3:10), Brock Nelson 1/25 vs CAR (2:03), Tony DeAngelo 2/1 @ TB (0:32)
Vs (6): Dylan Guenther 10/10 vs. UTA (2:18); Jake Neighbours 10/17 @ STL (2:04); Jack Hughes 11/9 vs NJD (2:35); Leon Draisaitl 11/12 @ EDM (1:52); Jakub Chychrun 11/29 @ WAS (1:20); Nick Suzuki 12/3 @ MTL (2:39)
Shootout Winners
For (2): Noah Dobson 10/19 vs MTL, Bo Horvat 11/5 vs PIT
Vs (1): Andrei Kuzmenko 11/19 @ CGY
All-time Islander Leader Boards:
Games Played (skaters)
1. Bryan Trottier 1,123 *** 2. Denis Potvin 1,060 *** 3. Josh Bailey 1,057 ***
4. Bob Nystrom 900 *** 5. Brock Nelson 898 *** 6. Casey Cizikas 873 *** 7. Clark Gillies 872 *** 8. Matt Martin 848 *** 9. Anders Lee 817 …
23. Ken Morrow 550 *** 24. Duane Sutter 547 *** 25. Lorne Henning 543 *** 26. Adam Pelech 538 *** 28. Ryan Pulock 537 *** 29. Claude Lapointe 535 *** 29. Tomas Jonsson 532 *** 30. Mathew Barzal 531 *** 31. Pat LaFontaine 530 *** 32. Kyle Okposo 529 *** 33. Scott Mayfield 520
Goals
1. Mike Bossy 573 *** 2. Bryan Trottier 500 *** 3. Denis Potvin 310 ***
4. Clark Gillies 304 *** 5. Brock Nelson 292 *** 6. Pat LaFontaine and Brent Sutter 287 *** 8. Anders Lee 283 …
20. Kyle Okposo 139 *** 21. Mathew Barzal 134…
29. Ray Ferraro 116 *** 30. Casey Cizikas 111
Assists
1. Bryan Trottier 853 *** 2. Denis Potvin 742 *** 3. Mike Bossy 553 …
7. John Tonelli 338 *** 8. Patrick Flatley and Mathew Barzal 328…
13. Derek King 288 *** 14. Pat LaFontaine 279 *** 15. Bobby Nystrom 278 *** 16. Brock Nelson 277…
19. Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo 230 *** 21. Anders Lee 211…
25. Kenny Jonsson 175 *** 26. Alexei Yashin and Duane Sutter 171 *** 28. Noah Dobson 169 *** 29. Jean Potvin 167 *** 30. Jeff Norton 166 *** 31. Ziggy Palffy 163 *** 32. Ryan Pulock 158…
35. Travis Green 145 *** 36. Casey Cizikas 143
Points
1. Bryan Trottier 1,353 *** 2. Mike Bossy 1,126 *** 3. Denis Potvin 1,052…
7. Josh Bailey 580 *** 8. Brock Nelson 569 …
13. Derek King 499 *** 14. Anders Lee 493 *** 15. Patrick Flatley 488 *** 16. Mathew Barzal 462…
28. Jason Blake and Steve Thomas 258 *** 30. Casey Cizikas 254
+/-
1. Bryan Trottier +467 ***2. Denis Potvin +456 *** 3. Mike Bossy +380…
15. Bob Lorimer +105 *** 16. Adam Pelech +79 *** 17. Tomas Jonsson +76 *** 18. Garry Howatt +75 *** 19. Pat Price +70 *** 20. JP Parise +67 *** 21. Ryan Pulock +59 *** 21. Jude Drouin +58 *** 23. Patrick Flatley +57 *** 24. Greg Gilbert +54 *** 25. Gord Lane +48
Defense Goals
1. Denis Potvin 310 *** 2. Tomas Jonsson 84 *** 3. Kenny Jonsson 57 ***
4. Stefan Persson 52 *** 5. Ryan Pulock 51 *** 6. Jean Potvin and Noah Dobson 46…
13. Bryan Berard 31 *** 14. Vladimir Malakhov and Scott Mayfield 27 *** 16. Adam Pelech and four others 26
Defense Assists
1. Denis Potvin 742*** 2. Stefan Persson 317 *** 3. Tomas Jonsson 249…
5. Kenny Jonsson 175 *** 6. Noah Dobson 169 *** 7. Jean Potvin 167 *** 8. Jeff Norton 166 *** 9. Ryan Pulock 158 ***10. Mark Streit 139 *** 11. Adam Pelech 129…
17. Bryan Berard 100 *** 18. Vladimir Malakhov 98 *** 19. Johnny Boychuk and Scott Mayfield 96
Defense Points
1. Denis Potvin 1,052 *** 2. Stefan Persson 369 *** 3. Tomas Jonsson 333…
5. Kenny Jonsson 232 *** 6. Noah Dobson 215 *** 7. Jean Potvin 213 *** 8. Ryan Pulock 209…
10. Mark Streit 179 *** 11. Adam Pelech 155…
18. Gerry Hart 128 *** 19. Vladimir Malakhov 125 *** 20. Scott Mayfield 123
Goalie Games
1. Billy Smith 674 *** 2. Rick DiPietro 318 *** 3. Glenn Resch 282 ***
4. Kelly Hrudey 241 *** 5. Ilya Sorokin 235 *** 6. Thomas Greiss 193 *** 7. Tommy Salo 187 *** 8. Jaroslav Halak 177*** 9. Glenn Healy 176 *** 10. Semyon Varlamov 173
Wins
1. Billy Smith 304 *** 2. Glenn Resch 157 *** 3. Rick DiPietro 130 ***
4. Ilya Sorokin 116 …
7. Jaroslav Halak 88 *** 8. Roland Melanson 77 *** 9. Semyon Varlamov 76
Shutouts
1. Glenn Resch 25 *** 2. Billy Smith 22 *** 3. Ilya Sorokin 21 ***
4. Rick DiPietro and Semyon Varlamov 16
On the Farm
Bridgeport is 12-34-3-3 after a 5-1 loss to Providence on Wednesday. The Baby Isles are 3-20-0-3 at home.
Brian Pinho continues to lead the team with 19 goals, two ahead of Liam Foudy. Chris Terry's 32 assists and 48 points pace the Baby Isles in both categories (he is tied for 3rd in the AHL in points).
Bridgeport plays at Lehigh Valley on Friday.
Season Series Stats
The Isles win the season series, 2 games to 1 (and 4 points to 3). The road team won each game.
The loss ends a Boston 10-0-3 streak at home against the Isles (who were 3-7-3 in that span).
UP NEXT
SATURDAY, MARCH 1st – NASHVILLE AT ISLES 12:30pm
[MSGSN (Pre-game at 12:00), WRHU 88.7 FM, WRCN 103.9FM, Isles + UBS Arena App]
The Isles open the month of March by entertaining the Nashville Predators in the first meeting of the teams this season. The Preds head to New York after stopping Winnipeg's 11-game winning streak on Thursday.
Semyon Varlamov shut out the Preds in April to end a 10-game winless streak against the Preds; it was the Isles' first home win over Nashville since October 15, 2015.
The teams will meet on April 8th in Nashville to complete the season series.
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
