The Game is upon the Islanders.
Yes, ex-captain John Tavares is returning to NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum for the first time since bolting via free agency for a seven-year, $77-million deal with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, and there’s no soft-selling how emotional and charged an atmosphere it will be on Thursday night as the expected sell-out crowd of 13,917 expresses just how jilted it feels.
But for the Islanders’ players, who have risen to first place in the Metropolitan Division under new president and general manager Lou Lamoriello and coach Barry Trotz, Tavares’ return has little to do with the importance of the game.