WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Sure, Barry Trotz, originally from nearby Dauphin, always likes the chance to see some family members and friends. But the Islanders coach really just wanted his team to play any place outside of New York for a bit.
The Islanders opened their season with three straight home games and played five of their first six at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum. Overall, 12 of the Islanders’ first 17 games are at home.
“We needed to get on the road,” Trotz said before the Islanders faced the Jets on Thursday night at MTS Bell Place. “I thought we were getting a little stale.