New York Islanders 2016-17 regular season schedule released

The Islanders 2016-17 regular season schedule was released today, packed with 82 games designed to drive you absolutely bananas between October and April.

A quick glance at some of the highlights:

• There are 13 sets of back-to-backs including four in March. Once again, that month looks like quite a gauntlet, as it was last season.
• There are 18 weekend games, per the club's release. Seems like fewer 7:30 starts than last season as Barclays Center continues to try to find the best mix while also balancing a million other events.
• Sunday games appear to be set at 6:00 pm, which is different but also kinda nice with school/work the next day.
• Looks like the Islanders five-day second half bye week, a new feature added by the NHLPA, will be the first week in January. They play on Saturday New Year's Eve in Winnipeg and don't play again until the following Friday in Denver. Personally, I wouldn't want a bye that early while some teams get them later in the season (and closer to the playoffs), but I'm not the guy with the incredibly hard job of making 30 schedules up.
• The longest home stand is six games from January 19th through the 31st.
• The longest road trip is a monster nine-game beast from February 21st through March 11th that takes the Islanders from Detroit, up to Montreal, through the Midwest straight to Dallas, then up through Western Canada. Jesus Christ.
• That trip by the way includes the Islanders' final regular season visit to Joe Louis Arena and first visit to Rogers Place, the new home of the Oilers.
• The four games against the Rangers are spread out. After the opener, the two teams don't play again until December 6th. Then once in February and once in March.
• The first game against the reigning champion Penguins is October 27th in Pittsburgh.
• Just weird: The Islanders don't host an Eastern Conference team until almost Halloween.
• Like pictures and calendars with boxes? Here you go.

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The full schedule:

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The home portion of the schedule for the team's second season in Brooklyn