There will be no grumbling about the Islanders’ schedule this time around.
A year after starting the season with 13 straight on the road while UBS Arena was being completed, the league threw the Isles a bone this season. The team’s first four games will be at home, starting with Thursday night’s opener against the Panthers, as well as six of their first nine. If they win Thursday, it will be their first victory in a home opener since 1994, which was also against the Panthers.
Last year, getting back to Long Island a hair under .500 was viewed as a win, before COVID-19 wrecked the Islanders’ homecoming. This time around, there might be no team in the league for whom it is more important to start strong.
“I think a lot of guys left last season embarrassed and upset with themselves, because we know we had a lot more to give than we showed,” Casey Cizikas told The Post following Wednesday’s practice. “It’s gonna be a big start.”
It needs to be.
Three of the Islanders’ opponents on their opening homestand — Anaheim, San Jose and New Jersey — were not in the playoffs last season. From there, they will play five in a row against teams that made it past the first round (Tampa, Florida, the Rangers, Carolina, Colorado). If they stumble out of the gate, that is a recipe for a pre-November disaster.
There is also the intangible element of how the fan base would respond to such a scenario. The empty seats and single-digit prices on the secondary market for tickets were plainly embarrassing toward the end of last season, even though the Islanders were all but officially out of contention by February. Season tickets at UBS Arena are not cheap, and there is only so much 50th anniversary celebrating the Islanders can sell if the team on the ice is not worth the money.
The fan base spent the summer on edge after its popular head coach was fired, only one big change was made to the roster and the forward group remained the same. Its patience might not last particularly long if the Islanders can’t prove that last year was indeed the fluke that they believe it was.
Of course, the easiest way to handle that dynamic is by avoiding it altogether — by winning, and winning early.
“Right now, I think it’s about having a good start,” Mathew Barzal told The Post, when asked about his expectations for the season. “Focus on the first five games, get off to a good start. Anytime you look too far ahead, you gotta stay in the moment through an 82-game season.”
The vibe has been good through training camp, with head coach Lane Lambert showing he can run a spirited practice and the Islanders giving positive reviews on his aggressive approach. After a few years of marching to their own drum, the Islanders are — at least to some extent — getting in line with the rest of the league.
“Look at Colorado. Everyone’s up in the play, skating fast,” Barzal said. “Carolina’s so hard to play against cause everyone is up and aggressive and in your face. That’s kinda how other good teams play now. We gotta adapt.”
What does that mean, exactly?
“I think it’s just a whole team mentality just to be more aggressive and not sit back and play defense,” Barzal said. “We want to exit the zone quickly and spend less time in our end. I think it’s just a team mentality thing. … It’s forwards, D, everybody being more aggressive.”
During the preseason, it’s been evident at times — particularly exiting their own zone — that the Islanders are still adjusting to that style. Once the puck drops on Thursday, that adjustment period needs to be over and done with.
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