The Islanders don't expect to lose any home-ice advantage when the postseason party moves to Brooklyn for the second round.
It'll just be a railgating crowd at Barclays Center instead of the tailgating done at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum.
"Instead of being in the parking lot, they'll be on the train," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said.
There's no denying the special aura the Coliseum had during the Islanders' two home games in their first-round sweep of the Penguins, or in past playoff games at the venerable barn.
But it would also be revisionist history not to acknowledge that the postseason crowds at Barclays Center, where the team will play all subsequent home playoff games, were also electric in 2016.
The Islanders were off on Sunday after two hard days of practice as they await the winner of the Capitals-Hurricanes first-round series. The Capitals took a 3-2 series edge with a 6-0 win at Washington on Saturday night with Game 6 at Carolina on Monday night. The Islanders would start the second round on the road if they face the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals but would host Games 1 and 2 and have home-ice advantage against the Hurricanes.
Barclays Center hosted two series in 2016. The Islanders, with their first playoff series win since 1993, topped the Panthers in six games with former captain John Tavares knotting Game 6 with 54 seconds left in regulation, then scoring the winner in double overtime. The Lightning then eliminated the Islanders in five games.
"It was electric," center Casey Cizikas said. "It's kind of hard to envision after being in the Coliseum, but those series in Brooklyn were just as intense and the fans were on their 'A' game. It gets loud. It gets exciting. It's a fun venue."
Barclays Center's capacity for hockey is nearly 2,000 more than the Coliseum's 13,917 and there are 10 times as many revenue-generating suites. But attendance lagged during the regular season compared to the Coliseum.
"You're talking regular-season games and fans who live in Suffolk County on a Tuesday or Thursday," left wing Matt Martin said. "Coming to the game is tough. I wouldn't do it. But during the playoffs, our fans are going to be there and they'll blow the roof off the place like they always do. We're excited to have them stand behind us. So, in terms of venue, it really doesn't matter. Our fans will bring the noise. We know that."
Cizikas said he was told the noise was deafening when Tavares scored his double-overtime winner.
"That's funny, actually I don't remember hearing anything," Cizikas said. "It was loud, that's what everyone was telling me. When I think back to it, I think about just the emotion, the excitement, skating to that pile. I think I kind of drowned it out and I didn't really hear anything I was so excited."
The Islanders went 12-6-2 at Barclays Center and 12-7-2 at the Coliseum during the regular season.
"The only difference is a little bit of a convenience," Trotz said.
He added the team's infrastructure at Barclays Center _ offices, weight rooms, medical facilities, etc. _ are actually better.
