Islanders Homecoming A Success

Last night was one of the nights that fans and players alike will not forget. It has been three long years since the last game was played at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The exact date was April 25th, 2015. That was the date of Game Six of the opening round loss to the Washington Capitals. Since then, the Islanders have had to call Barclays Center in Brooklyn home. Anybody who's gone to the games there can tell you, its not quite the same thing. It's not home. Long Island is. Nassau Coliseum is. Last night, in a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Islanders came home.

Tailgating started at 7AM, a full twelve hours before puck drop. That was an indication as to how badly this area needs this team. A complete sellout of 14,500 if not more, packed the Coliseum to watch the game. It was loud in that building. I was watching on TV and you could feel the energy and electricity coming through the TV screen. So just imagine what the building must have felt like. It was quieted halfway through the hockey game when the Jackets took a 2-0 lead. Then the tide started to turn. Andres Lee got the Isles on the board and the building EXPLODED. It got even louder a few minutes later when Anthony Beauvillier tied the game. The icing on the cake came in the 3rd when Casey Cizikas capped it off with the game winner a little over seven minutes into the 3rd.

Some things never changed in the building. They supposedly put $70 million into rebuilding the place. The corridor was still just as crowded, from what I heard. The lines for the bathrooms were still just as long, from what I heard And the noise was still the same. It's still a very tough place to play for opposing teams. Fans are right on top of you and when we have reason to, Islanders fans can make life hell for opposing teams, because of how loud we can get. Players have even said it that playing there was different than any other building in the league.

Last night's outing was proof that the team never should have left. It should have been temporary at most while the building was torn down and totally rebuilt from the ground up. That's not what happened. Nassau County screwed up, leaving the Islanders to head to Brooklyn for good until Belmont gets built. As an Islanders fan, I'm extremely thankful that a deal was able to be reached so the team could play at the Coliseum for 21 games a year till the new building comes around. It's meant so many great memories going to games at the old barn. I've spent quite a few good winter nights in the building, watching hockey. Might not have always been winning hockey, but it was hockey never the less.

It would only be one or two games a year, maybe more if I got really lucky. It was through the bad years and the good times. It meant quality time with my family going to a game. It meant that even for a few hours, no matter how tough things got at home, it was an escape and all was right with the world. Might not have been a lot of wins during the late 90's but it was still fun never the less. It brings back so many great memories and I can't be any happier that the Islanders are back, at least for a little while, at the Coliseum. It was a sight for sore eyes last night that's for sure.

Anybody who was at the game last night, or even saw it on TV, can tell you the same thing. They're happy the Islanders are back on Long Island where they belong. The build was just as loud as ever. It may have gotten a slight face lift and was, on the whole, the same building. Nobody cared. The Blue and Orange were right back where they belong. They should have never left. Last night's game proved that.