Forever1940's Stat Trick

The Isles are actually the LEAST penalized team in the NHL right now,
averaging just over 11 minutes in penalties per game. (The Flyers
are the most penalized.)

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VASICEK:

The 7 goals are actually one more than he scored all last season. He
had only four the year before, so he now has more goals than in any
season since the lockout.

His NHL high is 19, in 2003-04 with Carolina.

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Lot of numbers from the Isles maiden visit to the Rock...

1. Josef Vasicek has scored the Islanders' first goal in all three games against NJ. Vasicek now has seven goals on the year (including the only two shorties that the Isles have scored) and has recorded eight of his 68 career goals against the Devils.

2. Rick DiPietro records his 13th career shutout and 99th career victory as the Isles become the final Atlantic Division opponent to blank the Devils this year (NJ has been shutout five times this season). It's the Isles first shutout against NJ since a scoreless tie (Vanbiesbrouck/Brodeur) on December 1, 2000 and the first time the Isles have beaten New Jersey by shutout since Glenn Healy blanked the Devils 7-0 on April 15, 1992. Brodeur, making his fourth NHL appearance, played the third period of that game.

3. The Isles have played six consecutive one-goal games, winning three and losing three. It's the first time in club history that . the Isles have ever played six consecutive 1-goal games. (The Isles did play 7 consecutive games in 2001 decided by one goal or less)

and a few more..

4. The Isles are taking this Hummer Metro Cup seriously -- they're now 5-0 against the Rangers and Devils this season (and have won seven straight against the two rivals counting two wins last April).

5. The last ten Islander-Devil games have been decided by either one or two goals -- the Devils won the first six games and the Isles won the last four games. Two of those games were tied in the final 2 seconds of regulation--once by each team.

6. The Isles are 3-0 vs. the Devils this season, and have won four straight over New Jersey, (dating back to last year). It's the first time that the Isles have won the first three games of a season series from New Jersey since 1985-86.

7. The Isles are 10-6-0 and reach the 20-point mark in only 16 games. It's only the second time in the last 20 years that the Isles have recorded at least 20 points in 16 games (11-3-1-1 in 2001-02).

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Di Pietro now has 13 shutouts. His shutout in New Jersey was only the 4th of the thirteen on the road.

It's the first time that DiPietro has won a 1-0 game and only the 12th 1-0 win in Islander regular season history:

13-Jan-76VsDetroit10W
21-Dec-84@Hartford10W
11-Feb-86VsVancouver10W
4-Feb-90@Buffalo10W
23-Mar-95VsNew York10W
15-Feb-97VsFlorida10Wot
17-Oct-98@St. Louis10W
27-Oct-98VsLos Angeles10W
15-Dec-98@San Jose10W
12-Feb-02@Philadelphia10Wot
31-Dec-02@Buffalo10Wot
16-Nov-07@New Jersey10W

Tommy Salo had all four of the 1-0 wins in 1997 and 1998; no other Isle goalie has more than one. Jason Blake had the OT goal in the most recent 1-0 win, which made a winner out of Chris Osgood.

DiPietro now has 99 career wins, and the Isles as a team have 499 road wins in their history, meaning Monday at MSG could be a multiple milestone game.

Only three goalies have won 100 games for the Islanders (Smith 304, Resch 157, Hrudey 106) -- Hrudey won his 100th game in January 1989.


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Paul Kariya recorded a goal and an assist as St. Louis beat Columbus 3-2.

Kariya's assist was the 514th of his career, allowing him to break into the top 100 all-time.

The player who dropped to 101st in assists all-time: Butch Goring.

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