Islanders Hockey Club Down Add Two More W’s To Remain Unbeaten In Regulation 

The Islanders Hockey Club continue to tear through their 2023-24 schedule, winning 10 straight (including two recently against their local rivals the Northern Cyclones). They sit atop the overall standings with 22 points, just ahead of the defending Dineen Cup Champion P.A.L. Jr. Islanders at 20 points and on a four-game winning streak of their own. 

The Islanders, now with 10 wins in a row since falling in overtime twice to start the season, continue to blow minds as we already approach the first quarter mark of the season, which for the IHC would be their next/13th game in their 52-game season. On Thursday, the Islanders defeated the Northern Cyclones, 4-1, and then 3-2 in overtime the next day. 

• The Cyclones and Islanders entered their first 2023-24 series with matching 14-11-1-2 records against each other, but the Islanders pulled ahead in this great rivalry by a current 16-11-1-2 record vs. the Cyclones’ 14-12-2-2 mark. 
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• The Islanders have a chance, if they win their next game (Thursday vs. the South Shore Kings), to match their most recent best winning streak of 11 games in 2019-20, from Jan. 3-Feb. 2, 2020. 
• Out of the teams that have been out-shot in a game this year (all but the South Shore Kings), the Islanders have the best record in that situation with a 3-0-1-0 mark. The Cyclones outshot them 27-23 in the 4-1 Islanders victory on Oct. 19. 
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• The Islanders now have the best defense, giving up just 2.00 goals against per game. They also have the second best offense at 4.00 goals per game.
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• Penalty killing remains a strong point. The IHC has given up just six goals out of 50 times shorthanded for a league-best 88 percent. 
• IHC was already leading the league in games going beyond 60 minutes before last Friday’s OT game against the Cyclones. They currently lead with five, with an OT record of 2-2 and a shootout record of 1-0 for a league-best eight points earned beyond regulation. 
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• Samuel Larsson, ranking third in defenseman scoring with 12 points, is tied for the lead in power play points by a defenseman with seven. 
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• Goaltender Frank Murphy’s 32-save performance against the Cyclones on Friday was his league-leading seventh straight victory, tied with P.A.L.’s Nicholas Bevilacqua and South Shore’s Ryan Keyes. He is also top five in goals against average (1.84, second), minutes (489, second) and save percentage (.944).
• Murphy’s seven-game winning streak is the longest in more than five years, beating two six-game winning streaks by 2019-20 goalies Jacob Zacharewicz and Kalle Andersson. The record is Louis-Felix St-Jean’s 22-game winning streak to see him go 22-0 on the 2017-18 season. Justin Ferguson won 18 games as well that inaugural NCDC season.