The Islanders played two games at Nassau Coliseum as part of their four-game sweep of the Penguins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the team now will "go back to commuting to Barclays Center for the rest of the postseason," according to Greg Joyce of the N.Y. POST. Islanders President of Hockey Operations & GM Lou Lamoriello said, “We’re not going to allow any change to get in the way of what we’re doing at this point. ... We have no reason for it to be a negative. We played half a season there. It’ll be our home arena. We look forward to our fans, who have just been tremendous, as far as what they brought. We have no doubt they will be the same in Brooklyn" (N.Y. POST, 4/18). Lamoriello praised the Coliseum and "compared it to some of the hallowed rinks in NHL history." But he said that an NHL team "cannot survive, financially, in the Coliseum, with its small (less than 14,000) capacity and lack of luxury boxes." However, Lamoriello did admit that if he "had his choice, he'd have kept all the playoff games" on Long Island. Lamoriello: "Probably. I wouldn't kid you" (NEWSDAY, 4/18).
GOTTA START SOMEWHERE: On Long Island, Neil Best writes "business dictates" that the Coliseum "has closed for the season." Best: "Do not blame the Islanders." The "best thing fans can do at this stage is this: Deal with it." The compromise that gave the Islanders one playoff round at the Coliseum "was an upset to begin with" (NEWSDAY, 4/18).
