TORONTO - An off-kilter clock hanging over the blue line, rinkside seats three feet higher than ice level and playing in the shadow of the skyscrapers marking Rangers territory.
It’s new and nerdy, but the same Islanders when the Maple Leafs make their first visit to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. After getting on a roll in the closing days of Nassau County Coliseum (5-1-1), the Leafs will have to get over the many quirks of the new place as a home and home marks the start of post-Christmas break action.
The controversial decision not to fix their ramshackle suburban rink or build anew has led the team to the western extremity of the Island.