The New York Islanders, in the middle of one of their strongest stretches of a disappointing, took a few CBA-mandated days off to start 2017.
Thus, this weekend of back-to-back Western road games represents their first games of the new year. It’s part of five games and two road back-to-backs over the next nine days, a stretch of the schedule that will start catching them up on a league schedule where everyone but two teams has played at least two more games than the Isles.
Tonight they visit the Colorado Avalanche, who at 12-25-1 are suffering through a far more miserable season.