Numbers do not lie over many seasons. Whatever these players were doing on game days after practice at home did not translate to wins at the Nassau Coliseum despite a very strong road record.
A few times it made all the difference between playoffs/no playoffs or a much higher seed.
My thinking on this subject has always been the empty seats/opposing fans played a huge part, same as why the Islanders strong fan support at Msg/Newark upset the Rangers/Devils.
And obviously the Islanders game day routine/travel distances being any different than the Rangers who live near their Greenberg facility being any different is simply not true.