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Islanders Gameday: Fashionably Late Isles Open vs. New Jersey Devils

The Islanders finally open their season against a team that opened their own last night.

By Dominik
Finally, we can drop this thing.
Finally, we can drop this thing.
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sport
Finally, we're here. The New York Islanders open their season tonight in Newark against a New Jersey Devils team smarting from last night.

The Islanders have a few new names -- including two prospects earning promotion -- and we've previously looked at some of their key questions here. What of these Devils?

Nyi-thinblade_medium Njd-slimfork_medium
Islanders (0-0-0) @ Devils (0-1-0)
7 p.m. EDT | MSG+ | Audio: NHL - WRHU
[Ilya Doesn't Live Here Anymore] Center
This Too Will Pass: In Lou We Trust

Who are they?

The third "metro" team, now staying home with their metro rivals in a resurrected and expanded Patrick Division that's dubbed New Coke, I mean "Metropolitan Division."

They are a team for whom the percentages -- shooting and save -- were unkind last season. Their hope is that those level back out toward something resembling normal. With a new goalie the latter is likely. Without the league's best shooter the former is more of a question.

Why are they?

Before there was a purple baseball team, there was a hockey team called the Colorado Rockies. After failing as the Kansas City Scouts -- hey, there's more K.C. in the Devils than in the Isles after all! -- and then failing as Don Cherry's Rockies, the franchise moved to the Meadowlands, where they languished before winning a Stanley Cup in the lockout (Part 1) shortened 1995 season played under the specter of a move to Nashville.

But that was a long time ago, and I'm the only one who ever brings it up. Hockey history is fun.

What are they?

They are a team that lost their best offensive player in Ilya Kovalchuk to cap de-circumvention retirement but gained a good goalie in Corey Schneider this summer. Naturally they scored zero goals against Marc-Andre Fleury last night while Schneider gave up three. Because small samples are fun. (Hey look, Fleury made a highlight reel save last night, the Proven Winner must be back, CTRL-V, etc.)

The Devils are unlikely to be shut out again tonight, at home, for their home opener, against Evgeni Nabokov, who has five shutouts in 83 games as an Islanders goalie.

But Martin Brodeur, who didn't start the season opener for the first time in ages last night, will be in goal for the home opener. Brodeur and Nabokov are a combined 79 years old, which means the Kubrick films of their childhood didn't even foresee iPhones.

In Lou We Trust described the Devils as sloppy and a victim of the Penguins' transition game in last night's 3-0 loss in Pittsburgh. Before the season, ILWT described the three key Devils questions (and added breakdowns of each position) as questions about the offense, about how they will split crease duties, and how Lou will keep their site name from becoming a cute relic, like a U.S. Postal Service slogan.

FIG Picks

We'll have more as the day and opening weekend goes on -- don't forget, the Isles home opener is Saturday versus the Metro newbies, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

For now, have some fun and pick the first Islanders goal (FIG) here, won't you?

Otherwise, chime along here or read other stuff.

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