Islanders Gameday News: Are you ready? Too bad. We're doing this anyway.

It seems like we've been waiting for this day for three years. Oh wait. We have.

Opening night. Barclays Center. New York Islanders. The new era begins tonight. BYOB.

URGENT UPDATE: One game in and I'm already forgetting the FIG picks pool. It's up now. Remember, get them in before game time and use replies to keep all the scorers together (i.e. if you're picking the same player as someone else, reply to that original comment instead of creating a new one).

Islanders News

• The news on Jaroslav Halak's status is no news. Doesn't look like he'll go tonight. [Newsday | Daily News]
• The Islanders invade Brooklyn and nothing will never be the same again: NY Daily News | NHL.com| The Republic | Brooklyn Daily Eagle | The NY Times doesn't understand the sarcasm of @IslesFacebook
• Eric Hornick with The Skinny on this and other Islanders opening nights.
• The Islanders' move reminds everyone of the Americans: The Times on the museum exhibit | WNYC Audio
• There are many, many, many things going on before the game so get to Barclays early for all the festivities. [Islanders]
• The Islanders will honor Al Arbour before the game, in case you weren't going to be emotional already. [Newsday]
• Thomas Hickey and Eric Cairns were among the NHL luminaries ringing the bell to open the Stock Exchange yesterday. [NHL.com]
• Ridgewood Bank joins the Islanders community outreach efforts. [PR Web]
• The Point Blank podcast sets the stage with special guest Arthur Staple.
• No one on Earth takes hockey pictures better than Bruce Bennett. [Insight]
• Eamon McAdam will open Penn State's season as the starter in goal. [Centre Daily]
• Notes from Sound Tigers camp cover a lot of ground. [Soundin' Off]

Other Stuff

• Last night's NHL Scores. The Lightning beat the Flyers in a crazy 3-on-3 OT and the wheels came off the Avalanche in the third period against the Wild.
• The Oilers are going with four alternate captains this season rather than one "C." Remember the Islanders' Kasparaitis-King-Palffy-Lachance tribunal? [Copper n Blue]
• Former NHLer Drake Berehowsky has designed an app to track hockey stats in real time. [THN]
• Rob. Schremp. Hockey. is back in North America. [Edmonton Journal]
• Inside the hidden world of NWHL Practice Players. [Today's Slap Shot]
• Rob Zombie's movie about the Broad Street Bullies might not actually be happening because of, like, lawyers, man. They're the worst. Zombie should make a slasher movie about them instead. [BSH]

Katie Nolan has advice for Brooklyn hipsters who want to get into hockey:

The @NHL season starts TONIGHT! Can Brooklyn hipsters embrace @NYIslanders hockey? @katienolan says they already do! https://t.co/rPuUO17SXU

— Garbage Time (@GarbageTime) October 7, 2015