The Empire State Building was lit in blue and orange Thursday as the city welcomed the New York Islanders to Brooklyn, fulfilling a dream of making Barclays Center a two-team arena ... and for the first time in 70 years, making the the borough a two-team town.
The Islanders will open their first season in the city Friday night, facing Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. And while the game will be important in the standings and for the Isles' own ambitions, the story will be about the move from and the aging Nassau Coliseum, where the team played for 43 years, to the sparkling, if not perfect for hockey, Barclays Center.