Here are some notes for those fans getting ready to watch the New York Islanders (6-5-3) who are on the road getting ready to take on the Washington Capitals (7-7-0) in NHL action.
Islanders celebrating. Photo by: Stacy Podelski
LAST GAME:
11/2/13: NYI 3 vs. BOS 1
Thomas Vanek had a goal and an assist and Kevin Poulin made 26 saves to lead the Islanders to a 3-1 win against the Boston Bruins at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night. John Tavares and Andrew MacDonald also scored for the Islanders, who swept their weekend of back-to-back games.
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Isles have played nine of their first 14 games at home, but will play their next four games on the road. The Isles are 2-0-3 in their last five trips to Washington D.C. and are 4-0-4 in their last eight games against the Caps. The eight-game point streak is the Isles’ longest against Washington since going 12-0-1 against the Caps between October 1980 and October 1982.
ALL TIME ISLANDERS VS. CAPITALS:
All-Time Record: 86-24-23
2012-13 Record: 2-0-1
Last Regulation Win: 3/26/13 – NYI 3 at WSH 2
Last Regulation Loss: 2/26/11 – NYI 2 vs. WSH 3
Overtime Record (W-L-T): 6-11-8
Last Overtime Decision: 2/28/12 – NYI 2 at WSH 3
Shootout Record: 1-4
Last Shootout: 4/4/13 – NYI 1 vs. WSH 2
TEAM NOTES:
NHL Scoring Race: Kyle Okposo places sixth in the NHL scoring race with 17 points; his 13 assists are tied for third in the league. Frans Nielsen is tied for seventh in the NHL scoring race, one point behind Okposo (8g/8a), while John Tavares is tied for 14th place with 15 points (6g/9a).
Blueline to Goal Line: An Islanders defenseman has recorded a point in 10 consecutive games. The Isles have had three points from defensemen in each of their last three games.
2nd Period Scoring: The Isles have outscored their opponents 22-16 in the second period; 22 of their 43 goals have been scored in the middle frame.
500 Points: Thomas Vanek’s first goal as an Islander Saturday vs. Boston was his 500th career point (255g/245a) in his 601st game.
57 Shots: The Isles outshot the Ottawa Senators 57-31 Friday, marking the second highest shot total in franchise history (60 vs. Carolina on 10/25/08).
Comeback Kids: The Isles have trailed at some point in four of their six wins this season, including all three of their road victories.
Team Scoring: The Islanders have scored at least two goals in every game this season. Chicago and St. Louis are the only other teams to have done so.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Hamonic – 3 games shy of 200
The Islanders and Capitals game is set to air on the MSG Plus network, with face-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m.