The Islanders can’t dwell on the past, even if it was less than 24 hours ago.
The Metropolitan Division leaders face a key test against the second-place Capitals, just two points behind, on Friday night at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum in the third game of a five-game homestand.
The second, Thursday night’s 6-1 win over the Maple Leafs and returning John Tavares was instantly memorable for its emotionally-charged atmosphere as the sell-out crowd of 13,917 expressed its extreme displeasure in the ex-captain’s decision to leave via free agency to return home to Toronto.