The day after they tied up their first-round playoff series with the Pittsburgh Penguins at two games apiece, the Islanders couldn’t say enough about the support they got from the 6,800 fans who cheered them on at Nassau Coliseum for the last two games.
Now, as the series shifts back to Pittsburgh for Game 5 Monday, the Islanders won’t have that supportive crowd behind them. Instead, they’ll have 9,000-odd fans at PPG Paints Arena cheering everything their opponents do. So, is there a way for Barry Trotz’s team to find a way to use a hostile crowd to their advantage?