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Our recap of tonight’s wild win over the Penguins at Barclays Center is here but on top of dissecting the Islanders’ great-then terrible-then great again game, we can talk about a little history that was made at the same time.
Anders Lee’s goal with 27 seconds remaining of the third period was followed by Nikolay Kulemin’s empty netter with 24 seconds left. The two scores in three seconds set a team record and tied an NHL record, accomplished only twice.
No, seriously.
History in Brooklyn: FASTEST TWO GOALS IN #ISLES HISTORY (3 seconds)
— Eric Hornick (@ehornick) December 1, 2016
Yes. I am not kidding. Stop that.
The @NYIslanders scored twice in three seconds, tying the record for fastest two goals by one team in NHL history. pic.twitter.com/y2LpxAX92u
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 1, 2016
Per Islanders statistician Eric Hornick, the previous teams to score twice in three seconds were the 2004 Minnesota Wild and the 1935 St. Louis Eagles, who I’m sure you have not heard of. You may remember them by their earlier incarnation as the original (and more successful version of the) Ottawa Senators.
Here are the officially broken and/or matched records, via Hornick’s indispensable NYI Skinny:
The two late goals rewrote the Isles', the Penguins' and the NHL's record book.
The previous fastest two Islander goals came :06 apart when Clark Gillies (4:51) and Mike Bossy (4:57) did so against Chicago in the third period at the Coliseum on October 27, 1979
The Penguins had allowed a pair of goals :06 apart on three different occasions, most recently in 1999 to the then-Phoenix Coyotes.
The two goals tied the NHL record for fastest two goals by one team:
0:03 – St. Louis Eagles, Mar. 12, 1935, at St. Louis, third period. Scorers: Frank Jerwa, 14:50; Joe Lamb, 14:53. St. Louis defeated Detroit 3-2.
– Minnesota Wild, Jan. 21, 2004, at Minnesota, third period. Scorers: Jim Dowd, 19:44; Richard Park, 19:47. Minnesota defeated Chicago 4-2.
Man, when you break a record held by both Bossy and Gillies...
Lee’s goal was the type of score he prides himself on; standing in front of the net with a shot from the point coming his way. And on the day he gets a feature on NHL.com by Brian Compton, too.
Kulemin’s score was a little less deft but important nonetheless. After a faceoff win, he took the loose puck and hit the open net from the red line. And BOOM, just like that a 3-3 game became a 5-3 win.
We’ll, uh, refrain from mentioning that blown three-goal third period lead for now in favor of enjoying a fun game, a big win and a little history.