2011-12 NHL Schedule: Islanders open with 4-game homestand

Islanders at Stars

Looking forward to my 3rd Islander game ever

another Columbus Day matinee… Kids Days?
no rangers, no wiz, no gesturing.
game rated G against The Wild?

1st Rangers game: 10/15.
Expect A LOT of Ranger fans. They open abroad and MSG wont re-open from renovations til 10/27. This is a pit-stop on their way to the West Coast so expecting plenty of Rangers at this one. Plus, NYR raised their ticket prices so this should sell out. With a 7pm start, should provide better beer sales than the Columbus Day matinee last year.

When will the Nordiques invade this year?
will they show up for Thrashers-turned-Winnipegers on 11/3 or season closer on 4/5?
Isles will only play Coyotes in PHX on 1/7.
NHL scheduling missed an opportunity for 3,000 Nordiques to hit the Coli for a Coyote game.

Atlantic Division:
last divisional team to play first-game against will be the NJD on 11/25 (a home and home series 11/26)
Isles will already have played:
Philly once 11/23
Rangers twice (10/15 and 11/15)
Pitt 3x (10/25, 10/27 and 11/21)

Sun Nov 13, 2011 NY ISLANDERS VANCOUVER 9:00 PM ET
 
 
Tue Nov 15, 2011 NY RANGERS NY ISLANDERS 7:00 PM ET
 
 
Thu Nov 17, 2011 MONTREAL NY ISLANDERS 7:00 PM ET

I’m there for those 3. If I’m gonna’ come up from Florida, i might as well stay a while.

My brother is a lightning fan and i might be able to take him. I already told him that if the lightning score he cant do any celebration. no fist pump, cant jump up, no “YES!”, nothing. He has to sit there and not smile. haha lets see if he agrees to that

so that the teams’ travel arrangements can all make a bit more sense. Is there really that much red tape?

@ NJ. the rock is worth going to. $11 cheap seats. lookin forward to.

Katie Strang
KatieStrangNYI Katie Strang
Ryan Murphy said most interesting question he’s been asked has been on #Isles much-discussed psych test
4 minutes ago

Katie Strang
KatieStrangNYI Katie Strang
The ?: What would you rather have a well-written poem or well-made gun? He chose the gun.
3 minutes ago

I guess we know who’ll replace Konopka

Brian Compton
BComptonNHL Brian Compton
Just my gut, but I think Garth Snow makes his first big trade since the Ryan Smyth deal in the next 72 hours. #Isles
5 minutes ago

The Western teams they play twice are Chicago, Dallas and Minnesota – that’s pretty fair. I too like how the Winnipeg situation has been handled for the Isles with a game in Minnesota just prior to the first trip to Winnipeg and then a game in St Louis just after the 2nd one.

I hate how their schedule looks down the stretch, though – extremely busy and rather road-heavy. In March and in April combined they’ll play 19 games in 38 days (4 times back-to-back nights, 4 times 3 games in 4 nights). 11 of the final 19 games are away (13 of the final 21, 16 of the final 25). There’s not a huge amount of travel involved there with lots of games, but still, a home stand or just a more quiet week could do some good down the stretch for sure.
Of course, the home-heavy (13 of the first 20 are at home) and not very busy (first back-to-back is in late November) start is kind of cool, but I’d honestly prefer it the other way around or a least a little more balanced.

2 games in 1 month! I hope to see at least one of them but if all works out both would be spectacular!

Just now looking over which games I may be angling to see next season, both at the Nassau Coliseum and on the road.

As for Winnipeg, the NHL has tried to make travel as easy as possible for the teams that have to go to Winnipeg a few times during the season. I can certainly live with the Isles going to Minnesota and St. Louis during their road trips that take them to Manitoba. I’ve noticed that other teams get to go to Toronto, then Winnipeg, then back to wherever. I was fearing that teams may have be on a roadtrip to Southeast Division teams, fly to Florida, then to Winnipeg, then to Carolina, then back home.

For those playing at home, the Isles will play Minnesota, Dallas and Chicago twice.

Also, having the last game of the season at Columbus may rise some eyebrows. I remember there was a small stink raised about Buffalo playing Columbus the last day of last season, but if an Eastern Conference team is playing a Western Conference team then, Columbus is closer than the Florida teams or Winnipeg.