3. The Islanders Are Good, And You Should Feel Good About That:
Yes, the New York Islanders are a very solid hockey club. Last season they made it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2007, John Tavares was an MVP Candidate, and Nassau Coliseum’s Exhale was heard throughout all of hockeydom.
The Islanders should be even better this year. Ryan Strome — who was drafted 5th overall in 2011 — is expected to make the leap to the NHL and have an immediate impact. Strome is uber-talented and lit up the scoreboard in Junior for Niagara of the OHL. Adding him to an offense that already boasts Tavares, Matt Moulson, Michael Grabner and Kyle Okposo should turn the Isles into one of the most fun teams to watch in the league.
If the Isles get consistent goaltending from ageless wonder/maniac Evgeni Nabokov and youngsters Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson, they may even contend for the first ever Metropolitan Division Title… or maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
The bottom line is that the Islanders are good again and this fanbase is about to explode.
