DENVER – Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon’s pre-game comment praising the Islanders’ defense seemed to come straight from the standard playbook of talking up the opponent and doing anything to keep from providing bulletin board material.
Still, given the state of the Islanders’ defense last season, MacKinnon’s scouting report does hint at how differently they’re perceived around the rest of the NHL this season.
“They’re one of the better defensive teams in the league,” MacKinnon said.
The Islanders open a four-game road trip that will take them into the Christmas break against the Avalanche on Monday night at Pepsi Center with goalie Thomas Greiss starting for the second straight game.