Which games will the Islanders play at their new home in Belmont?
The New York Islanders made it to the Eastern Conference Final for the second-straight year and although their season did end in heartbreak, there’s much to look forward to.
Bidding Nassau Coliseum farewell wasn’t easy, but the Islanders will spend the 2021-22 season at their brand new home in Belmont, something to be excited for.
The schedules for all 32 NHL teams were released on Thursday.
#Isles News: The Islanders have released their schedule for the 2021-22 regular season, which features 41 home games at @UBSArena at Belmont Park. https://t.co/rVbuCHNWcn
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) July 22, 2021
How does the Islanders’ schedule look next year?
The Islanders open the season on the road on Oct. 14th at the Carolina Hurricanes. They’ll play 13 straight games away from home to kick things off.
As if that isn’t hard enough, they’ll be taking on some tough opposition including some very good Carolina, Florida Panthers (twice), Vegas Golden Knights, Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, and Tampa Bay Lightning teams.
Their first home game of the season and first ever at UBS Arena will come on Nov. 20th when they host the Calgary Flames.
That will mark the beginning of four-straight home games, the subsequent three being difficult ones against the Toronto Maple Leafs and division rival New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
The beginning of the season is crucial for the Islanders because they play so many games, most of which will be tough, in a row away from home. However, this will be followed by an easier stretch in schedule, spanning from Nov. 30th to Dec. 16th.
This will begin with the Philadelphia Flyers and end with the Detroit Red Wings, whom they will face twice during that span.
However, things will get tough once again for the Islanders on the 16th: they’ll see the Boston Bruins, Golden Knights, Canadiens, and Washington Capitals during that two-week span. Thankfully for the team and the fans, these games will be played at home.
Of course, Islanders fans are eager to see the league’s newest team, the Seattle Kraken. They’ll take them on for the first time ever on Jan. 4th in Seattle.
Most of January heading into to the All-Star break should be a good stretch for the Islanders. From Jan. 13th to Feb. 1st, they will play nine out of 10 games at home.
Most of these games aren’t against the toughest of teams, either: New Jersey Devils, Flyers (twice), Columbus Blue Jackets, Arizona Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings, Kraken, and the Ottawa Senators.
They’ll return from the break on Feb. 24th with a four-game west coast trip against the San Jose Sharks, Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Colorado Avalanche, respectively.
They’ll play at home quite a bit thereafter. From March 3rd to the 31st, they’ll play 11 out of 15 games at home.
However, they’ll then play seven straight on the road followed by a crucial three-game stretch at home against the Maple Leafs, Panthers, and Rangers.
The Islanders will finish off the season with a repeat of the past two ECF, on April 28th against the Lightning.
