Playing at home is important to most teams, but it brings a new level of importance for the Islanders. After the conclusion of the 2021 NHL season, the Islanders will be moving from Nassau Coliseum to UBS Arena, located in Belmont, New York. After becoming mathematically eliminated from home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Islanders should see this elimination as a huge missed opportunity.

The History:

The Islanders have always loved to play at home in front of their fans, as do all teams; for the Islanders, playing at Nassau Coliseum is simply a different feeling. The Islanders began playing at “the barn” in 1972, before moving to Brooklyn to play at the Barclays Center in 2015 while the Nassau Coliseum was renovated. Playing in Brooklyn did not work well for the team. It seemingly did not provide a “home” feeling for the Islanders or their fans, which is why last season the Islanders came back to what all Islanders fans call home: the Nassau Coliseum.

In the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Islanders played the first round at Nassau Coliseum and then the second round at the Barclays Center. The Islanders won both of the games that were played at the Coliseum in the first round and lost both games that were played at the Barclays Center in the second round. Is it a coincidence? I certainly do not think so.

Notable Stats:

The Islanders are 20-4-3 this season when playing at home, which ranks among the best home record in the NHL. On the other hand, the Islanders rank near the bottom in road record (11-13-3). The Islanders have won a total of 31 games this season, with 20 of them coming from winning at home. Mathew Barzal has scored 10 of his 15 goals at home and Jordan Eberle has recorded 21 of his 32 points at home.

In-depth stats:

Power Play:

• The Islanders are 26.2% on the power play at home. (3rd in the league)
• The Islanders are 11.7% on the power play on the road. (30th in the league)

Penalty Kill:

• The Islanders are 91.8% on the penalty kill at home. (1st in the league)
• The Islanders are 78.5% on the penalty kill on the road. (21st in the league)

Goals Scored / Goals Allowed:

• The Islanders have scored 90 goals at home (7th in the league) and have allowed 53 goals at home. (31st in the league)
• The Islanders have scored 54 goals on the road (28th in the league) and have allowed 66 goals on the road. (28th in the league)

No Home-Ice Advantage:

It is obvious that the Islanders are a team that succeeds mainly at home, but that needs to change in time for the playoffs. This year, they are going to need to learn how to win and how to succeed on the road in order to go on a long playoff run.

All stats are accurate as of May 6th, 2021.

Jacob

Writer for Drive4Five covering the New York Islanders.