Islanders announce 2015-16 Regular Season Schedule: Rangers in December, Caps in January

NHL teams released their full regular season schedules today, including the New York Islanders' first 41 home games in Brooklyn.

Their first home opener at Barclays Center was announced earlier this week and will be against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, of all teams. Turns out it's a back-to-back home-at-home series, and the Islanders will be in Chicago the following night.

The Islanders have 15 back-to-backs, the most being three in November. Their longest road trip is a seven game monster that crosses February and March that's part of a 12 out of 14 on-the-road gauntlet. Ouch.

Other notables include:

• The first matinee is Game 3, Oct. 12 versus the Jets.
• The first Islanders-Rangers game in Brooklyn on December 2.
• First home game against the last team to play at Nassau Coliseum, the Washington Capitals, on January 7.
• Connor McDavid and the Oilers in a matinee on Feb. 7.

Start times, which were a bit of a concern for those trailblazing a new route to games after 43 years on Hempstead Turnpike, are scattered: a number of 7:30 pm starts happen earlier in the season (and mostly on weekends), before giving way to predominantly 7 pm starts for the back half.