Newsday · Feb 15, 2021
Islanders have experience playing a team coming off a COVID break
The Islanders faced the scenario confronting them in Buffalo, playing a team impacted by COVID-19, once before this season.
So the Islanders knew they needed to take the lessons from their two losses to the Capitals last month into their two-game series against the Sabres on Monday and Tuesday nights at KeyBank Center.
Monday marked the first game for the Sabres since a 5-3 loss on Jan. 31 to the visiting Devils, who have yet to resume their season after a COVID outbreak. The Sabres went six straight days through Friday with nine players on the NHL’s COVID protocol list and coach Ralph Krueger, 61, also tested positive.