NEWARK — After all that has happened between them, there still are two things on which John Tavares and Islanders fans agree. One, Nassau Coliseum is a fabulous place, and two, feelings are going to be off the charts there on Feb. 28, when he returns for the first time as an opponent.
Tavares was back in the New York area Tuesday with the Maple Leafs to face the Devils. Aside from a few days in early September, when he came to clear out his things on Long Island, it was his first trip back here since his bombshell decision on July 1 to leave the franchise he captained and epitomized in order to join his hometown team.