Nobody said this was going to be easy.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway, and despite putting up 46 shots, the Cats fell to the Islanders by a score of 5-4 in the series opener.
Reilly Smith scored twice, including a wicked snipe past Thomas Greiss to pull the Cats within a goal. Jussi Jokinen assisted on both of Smith's goals and added one of his own. But a late push wasn’t quite enough for the Cats to take Game 1.
The Cats get another shot at it tonight on home ice, before the series moves back to Brooklyn.