Here are some noteworthy numbers as the Islanders open the
2008-09 season:
9: Islanders coaches debuted on an Opening Night, as Scott Gordon will do tonight against the Devils in Newark.
2: Of those coaches opened with victories, Lorne Henning (1994) and Peter Laviolette (2001). Al Arbour (1973) and Mike Milbury (1995) each opened with a tie.
9: Opening Night wins for the Islanders in 35 seasons, a record of 9-18-8. That is a winning percentage of .371, which ranked 26th of the 30 National Hockey League teams entering this season.
19: Arenas in which the Islanders will have opened a season, counting the Prudential Center tonight.
4: Teams that have moved since the Islanders opened a season there - Atlanta Flames, Quebec Nordiques, Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts (the latter moved to Colorado and ultimately to New Jersey).
11: Shutouts against the Islanders by Martin Brodeur, tonight's expected starting goalie for the Devils. One of them was shared with Mike Dunham, now the Islanders' goalie coach.
25: Points against the Devils in 23 decisions (11-9-1-2) for Rick DiPietro, tonight's expected starting goalie for the Islanders.
24: Years ago tonight the Islanders had their first Opening Night in New Jersey. The defending Stanley Cup runner-up lost to the Devils, 7-2.
371: Days since Jon Sim played a regular-season NHL game. The left wing injured his knee in the Islanders' home opener last year and required reconstructive surgery.
"It seems like it has taken forever to get here," he said after practice yesterday. "This week has been a long week mentally because of the excitement. It's a weird feeling for me. Hopefully, I can control my emotions."
What got him through, he said, was that his teammates and the professionals who supervised his rehab were supportive. "Being around my family - I have two kids - helped a lot," he said. "Not every day was good, though."
110,943: Views, as of yesterday afternoon, on YouTube of Kyle Okposo's between-the-legs goal for the University of Minnesota. Having made it to the Islanders by the end of last season, Okposo will play his first season opener tonight.
66.15: Miles between Nassau Coliseum and the minor-league rink in Bridgeport, according to Mapquest. It is a trip that Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen and others on the Opening Night roster hope they never have to make again.
0: Hat tricks for the Islanders on Opening Night. Bryan Trottier (1975) and Mike Bossy (1983) each had one in the second game of a season.
1: Shutout for the Islanders on Opening Night - Chico Resch against the Flyers, Oct. 7, 1976.
15: Years since the Islanders were shut out by snow any time during a season (postponement by a storm March 13, 1993).
5: Years since the final Islanders shutout by Garth Snow (Dec. 13, 2003 against the Thrashers). He begins his third season as Islanders general manager.
3: Goals for the Rangers on Opening Night, 1991. One of them was scored by rookie Doug Weight, now an Islanders center.
"It was in the old Boston Garden. It was a pretty amazing atmosphere - with Cam Neely and everyone, it was old school," Weight said yesterday. Not just anyone can say his first NHL goal was assisted by enforcers Kris King and Tie Domi.
3: Age of this year's No. 1 draft pick Josh Bailey the last time the Islanders won a playoff series (1993 Stanley Cup semifinal). Bailey left practice early yesterday with an injury and is questionable for tonight.
19: Age of forward Richard Park when he played in his first Opening Night game, for the Penguins Oct. 7, 1995. "There were so many things going on, with Mario [Lemieux] coming out of retirement," he said. "It was exciting. I think Opening Night is something every player will always remember, that's for sure." What he was too modest to mention was that he scored his first NHL goal that night, an unassisted, shorthanded shot against Maple Leafs goalie Felix Potvin.
