The Islanders begin the 2021 season at Madison Square Garden at 7 p.m. tonight, the first of eight meetings and two (the second is Saturday night) to open the season.
This will be a season like no other — shortened not by a lockout, but by a pandemic that affects the divisional alignment and schedule accordingly. The eight-team division temporarily including the Bruins and Sabres — looks something fierce, as Barry Trotz has acknowledged in preseason interviews:
“Definitely with our division you’re not going to get a night off. They’re going to be hard games.”
"You really have to keep that short term memory and the short term focus.