Barclays Center hockey fans will flood the ice tomorrow night as the New York Islanders face off with Washington Capitals in what is the Isles biggest game of this season.
Riding a hot hand, the Isles have won three of their last four games and this contest is a rematch of last year’s first round playoff matchup where the Caps won in seven games. It will be telling to see how the Isles stack up against a Capital team that has the most points in the eastern Conference and the second best record in the NHL.
Certainly, this contest has the capability to bring a playoff-like atmosphere to the Barclays Center, as long as the Islanders can cold up their end of the bargain. Recently, the Isles have proven that they can hang with the NHL elite and when the playoffs roll around this team will be a serious threat. It was just on Sunday, where the Islanders beat the Dallas Stars, who have the most points in the NHL, 6-5 at a near sold out Barclays Center. After trailing early, New York was able to hold on and get a close win to improve their record against the Western Conference to 12-4-1.
This challenge though holds a little bit more weight since the Capitals are in the Islanders Metropolitan Division. It will be the first of four games that these two teams will play over the course of the next three months of the season. It is important for the Isles to set the tone in the head-to-head series and possibly make some headway within the division and possibly overtake Washington for home ice in the playoffs.
After an emotional game seven loss to Washington last season, the Islanders have regrouped and gotten off to a great start this season. They are right in the playoff mix and hold a 13-6-2 record at the Barclays Center. It is crucial for this team to continue to separate themselves from the rest of the pack since they want to make sure that they get as many home games in Brooklyn as possible once the playoffs begin.
After 40 games, the New York Islanders have shown that they might have what it takes to become a Stanley Cup contender, and a big home win tomorrow will go a long way in making that statement.
