Andrew Gross: Islanders' UBS Arena needs to continue to sound like the Coliseum during playoff push
The Islanders' Matthew Schaefer mixes it up with Taylor Ward of the Los Angeles Kings during the second period at UBS Arena on Friday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
At least UBS Arena held up its end of the bargain. It could have been the difference-maker on Friday night that it must be for the Islanders the rest of the season in their playoff push.
But the Islanders could not overcome yet another three-goal deficit — this one fueled by turnovers and a lack of straight-line play — in a 3-2 loss to the Kings even though the sellout crowd of 17,255 never wavered.
“Every night, it’s awesome here,” Matthew Schaefer said after logging a career-high 29:24. “You can go on the road, but there’s nothing like home. I feel I’m at my best when I’m playing here. I’m so amped up. I’m so excited to play in front of the fans. Home soil is key.”
It marked the Islanders’ first home game since March 1 and only their second since Feb. 3, factoring in the three-week Olympic break, but it started a stretch in which 12 of their last 17 games will be played at UBS Arena. After next week’s three-game Canadian swing, they will play 10 of their final 12 at home.
The Islanders can — and must — use this to their distinct advantage as they vie for a playoff spot. Which means they can’t play loose with the puck or try to be too fancy with it.
“Too many times we’re trying to dance through their defense,” Anders Lee said.
“We just have to have a good start,” Schaefer said. “We can’t keep doing this to ourselves with bad starts. We come back in a lot of games, but it’s not going to work all the time.”
The Islanders simplified their game when coach Patrick Roy reunited Mathew Barzal with Bo Horvat in the second period and their linemate, Emil Heineman, went on to score both goals by getting near the crease to tip shots.
They also trailed 3-0 in Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime win in St. Louis. That concluded a 2-2-0 road trip that included a 3-0 hole in a 5-3 loss in Los Angeles on March 5.
This loss prevented the Islanders (37-24-5) from moving past the Penguins into second place in the Metropolitan Division. The fourth-place Blue Jackets, who, like the Penguins, have played one fewer game, are two points behind.
So it’s time for UBS Arena to start consistently intimidating opponents the way Nassau Coliseum did in that venue’s best days.
“I think it’s close, for sure,” defenseman Adam Pelech told Newsday. “I have a lot of great memories from the Coli. In playoffs. I remember our first game back there after Brooklyn. It was pretty crazy there. It was nuts. And it’s fun to play in an environment like that.
“When UBS has gotten kind of rocking, it definitely comes close to that. Hopefully throughout the rest of the season and the playoffs, we can give the fans a reason to be like that.”
Friday marked the Islanders’ 13th consecutive sellout and their 18th in 30 home dates. It’s the arena’s longest sellout streak since the first 19 games were sold out after the building opened on Nov. 20, 2021.
Friday’s full house was into it early. The fans gave newest Islander Brayden Schenn, making his home debut after being acquired from the Blues on March 6, a nice ovation when he was announced as a starter. It periodically chanted for goalie Ilya Sorokin (24 saves) starting in the second period. There were multiple chants for Schaefer and an expectant roar in the third period when he stickhandled into the offensive zone.
There were “Let’s Go Islanders!” chants in the third period in an attempt to will the tying goal.
“Awesome,” Schenn said. “They love Schaef. Once we gave them something to cheer about, it’s a tough place to play. They got involved and you could tell the momentum shifted.”
The Islanders are 17-11-2 at home and have won 12 of their last 17 dating to Dec. 1.
Though UBS Arena is much bigger than Nassau Coliseum, the roof is not nearly as high as in many other modern NHL buildings, so the crowd noise is held closer to the ice.
But there’s one intimidation factor the Coliseum had that can’t be replicated. The crowd noise invaded the dressing rooms — almost to the point of shaking them — so the players heard that roar long before they stepped onto the ice.
UBS Arena’s state-of-the-art design muffles that sound.
“No, here is a little different,” Pelech said with a laugh. “This building, it’s a little newer, right? The Coli was crazy loud.”
Still, UBS Arena can be a difference-maker for the Islanders.
But they must hold up their end of the bargain.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
