Islanders New Identity Finally Readies UBS Arena For New Era
It's time to rock the barn. What do you say, Isles fans?
The roar of the game six Nassau Coliseum crowd after Anthony Beauvillier scored the OT goal can serve as this generation’s enduring measuring stick for what HOME should feel like.
The New York Islanders proved to the NHL that they are for real after going 6-1-0 on their road trip. They knocked off the New York Rangers, the New Jersey Devils, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Utah Mammoth, the Dallas Stars, and the Detroit Red Wings. Their only loss came against the Colorado Avalanche, in which they dominated the game but failed to capitalize on their chances.
Now, it’s about carrying that momentum to home ice at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, as they begin a seven-game homestand.
It doesn’t matter who is coming to town because the Islanders have proven that they can beat anyone in the NHL. What matters now is that it’s time to make UBS Arena the Islanders’ true home.
Despite having moved into the UBS Arena four years ago, it’s never felt like an advantage. They’ve never had a crowd behind them for winning times.
That’s in large part due to the club’s failures to maintain consistent success on home ice, which has impacted the fan support.
But, now with the way they are playing, a consistent, dominant brand of hockey, the opportunity for the fan base to be able to drop the money it takes to attend a game and see a win has never been higher. The Islanders have garnered national attention from every square inch of North America’s hockey media.
The vibes around the team have never been better.
An arena that lacked an identity — similar to how the Islanders have been lacking one the last few seasons — now has the chance to embrace this opportunity and run with it.
Coliseum Crazies:
The Islanders woke up this morning two points back of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division. How crazy is that?
The last time the Islanders were on home ice, they were near the basement of the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference. They were embarrassed on home ice by the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 7, losing 5-2.
But things have changed since then. Ilya Sorokin has rediscovered his Vezina-caliber game. Matthew Schaefer has gotten even better, especially defensively. The penalty kill has locked in. Calum Ritchie has been inserted into the lineup and is figuring things out. A healthy Maxim Shabanov is slowly but surely proving to be a player.
Bo Horvat and Emil Heineman have remained hot, and overall, the team believes that if they play the way they’ve been playing, they can beat anyone.
The Islanders have gone 4-3-1 on home ice. This is not an easy homestand by any means. Four of the seven teams are in a playoff spot (Colorado, Kraken, Tampa, Washington), with two of the other three teams close to the Wild-Card spot (Boston, Philadelphia).
Islanders fans, the team needs your support. There’s no reason for there to be empty seats after what they just showed you on the road.
This team is fun and exciting to watch, and there’s nothing better when those two things equate to winning.
