The Islanders were in Raleigh on Wednesday night, and their two home arenas were hockey-less in Uniondale and Brooklyn. But for some of their most passionate fans, there was nowhere else to be but 14th Street in Manhattan.
It was there that a packed house wedged its way into the “Offside Tavern” to live and die with the team for Game 3 of its second-round playoff series against the Hurricanes.
Surely, there were fans watching in homes and public places across the area, but in the 2½ years since Westbury native Nick Costa opened his establishment, it has become a go-to for Islanders supporters, especially those who work or live in the city.