They came from Bay Shore and Merrick, and out from Center Moriches. They took their cars or boarded the railroad for the exodus to Brooklyn. And all the while, the refrain was the same: There’s no place like home.
But there’s no Dorothy here: No matter how many times fans wish for a return to Hempstead Turnpike, the Islanders are in Flatbush to stay this postseason. The first round – a raucous affair at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum – is instead replaced by the spacey confines of Barclays Center for the second-round series against the Hurricanes. And reaction from those fans – that solidly Long Islander base – ranged from accepting to downright annoyed.