New York Islanders at Ottawa Senators [Game 23]

			-AT-
			7:00 PM EST
Radio	Network		Arena		Network	Radio
88.7 FM WRHU	MSG+		Canadian Tire Centre		SN	1200 AM CFGO
League	Value		Metric		Value	League
9th	63.6%		Points Percentage		52.4%	21st
29th	12.99%		Net Power Play Percentage		13.75%	26th
20th	75.36%		Net Penalty Kill Percentage		75.86%	19th
26th	88.35%		Combined Special Teams Percentage		89.61%	22nd
2nd	3.73		Goals for per Game (All Situations)		3.14	11th
24th	3.32		Goals against per Game (All Situations)		3.43	26th
8th	.36		Penalty +/- per Game (All Situations)		1.05	1st
15th	50.53%		Shot Attempt Percentage (5V5 Score Adjusted)		47.87%	23rd
17th	49.08%		Scoring Chance Percentage (5V5 Score Adjusted)		49.37%	16th
7th	101.47%		P.D.O. (5V5)		99.08%	23rd
2nd	9.76%		Shooting Percentage (5V5)		8.89%	7th
21st	91.71%		Save Percentage (5V5)		90.19%	31st
Data from Hockey-Reference.com and Natural Stat Trick
The Enemies' Lair
Silver Seven

The New York Islanders are in the (other) nation's capital (okay, they're really in Kanata which is like 25 minutes away but...) as they take on the Ottawa Senators for the second game in two days. The Islanders are coming off two overtime victories against the Flyers which has brought their points percentage into one of the top ten teams in the leagues. The Senators are also playing their second game in two nights.

At first glance it would appear that the Islanders have a firm advantage in this contest. The Islanders score more goals per game, allow less, and have a much better shot attempt ratio than the Senators, but the Senators have struggled in net with the worst save percentage in the league. That should rebound eventually and hopefully that won't be at the expense of the Islanders.

In addition to that, the Senators have the best penalty differential in the league and the Islanders have some of the worst special teams. Also, while the Senators have a worst shot attempt ratio, they lead the Islanders in almost all other shot metrics - unblocked shot attempts, shots on goal, and scoring chance ratios favor all favor Ottawa. This isn't a team that the Islanders can take lightly.

Thomas Hickey will return to the lineup tonight as Dennis Seidenberg is relegated to the bench. Seidenberg actually didn't play horridly in his two spot starts, ranking second in shot attempt ratio only to Scott Mayfield, but he's beeen the teams worst defender by far this year while Hickey is second on the team in relative expected goal percentage and really shouldn't have been scratched in the first place. Alan Quine will draw in for Anthony Beauvillier as the team continues to try and fix the mess of a third line. While Beauvillier has been anything but stellar, Quine has been the team's worst forward by a country mile in his limited showing this year and has been abhorrent over the past two seasons; unless Beauvillier isn't healthy, this move makes little sense.

Jaroslav Halak will get the nod in tonight's contest. Halak hasn't been stellar and one has to wonder how much longer his leash will be before the team looks elsewhere for netminding help. He'll be opposed by Craig Anderson who started last night's game, but Mike Condon has been terrible for Ottawa leaving them little choice but to start Anderson in the back to backs. Puck drop is at 7:05 P.M.

New York Islanders Lineup

Ottawa Senators Lineup