NYHN Daily: UBS Arena Open, Islanders COVID List Grows & More

The New York Islanders played their first-ever game at UBS Arena, their new home, on Saturday. The Islanders did not get the result they were looking for on one of the most important nights for the franchise, but they showcased a battle mentality that had been missing for quite some time. The Islanders added a few players to the COVID protocol list prior to puck drop but the players inserted into the lineup played rather strong.

These stories and more in today’s daily links!

The New York Islanders dropped their fifth consecutive game on Saturday in a 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames in New York’s home opener at UBS Arena. The Islanders are now 5-7-2 after the loss to Calgary. Two defensemen made their NHL debuts, in Robin Salo and Grant Hutton, both playing well in the loss. Varlamov stopped 26 of 29 and it was mistakes early in the first period by veterans that put the Islanders in a hole. Nelson scored twice to keep his team in reach but Jacob Markstrom stood tall to shut the door. (NYI Hockey Now)

Despite the Islanders dropping their first game at UBS Arena Saturday, the players showed a battle-mentality as they tried eagerly to tie this game up before a pair of empty-netters sealed their fate. The Islanders showcased a bit more of their identity, the same identity that saw the Islanders go to the Stanley Cup semi-finals in back to back postseasons. Could that fight spark the team and help them end their five-game skid tonight? (NYI Hockey Now)

A tradition that caught on during the playoffs and caught national headlines was back on Saturday night at the New York Islanders opener at UBS Arena. The 17,200 fans in attendance sang the American national anthem along with anthem signer Nicole Raviv before the puck dropped between the Islanders and Calgary Flames. The tradition had started last season during the playoffs after Raviv experienced technical difficulties with her mic ahead of Game 4 of the Isles’ series with the Boston Bruins. (NYI Hockey Now)

The COVID virus going around the New York Islanders locker room has sidelined three more members of the organization on a night the team was supposed to celebrate the start of a new chapter in their new home, UBS Arena. Adam Pelech, Andy Greene and Anthony Beauvillier entered COVID protocol on Saturday, joining a trio of players that had already been sidelined because of the virus. Grant Hutton, Andy Andreoff, Paul LaDue, and Richard Panik were recalled from AHL Bridgeport. (NYI Hockey Now)

The fans got to experience UBS Arena for the first time Saturday night and the brand new home of the Islanders received exceptional reviews. Read quotes from fans on their initial reaction once entering the doors and walking around the state-of-the-art arena. It’s been a long time coming for the Islander faithful who saw the club leave Nassau Coliseum, headed to Barclays Center, fell out of love there, split time between the two and finally, there is no debate on where home is. (NYI Hockey Now)

Prior to puck drop in Elmont last night, former voice of the New York Islanders, Hall of Famer Jiggs McDonald, was on the mic for the pregame ceremony. He started first with honoring the late Charles Wang, who did everything he could to keep the Islanders on Long Island. After a cool video showcasing a light show, the Empire State Building and the outside of UBS Arena, Islanders legends were on the ice for a ceremonial puck drop. (NHL)

The Boston Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 on Saturday night, as the depth for Boston shined. Derek Forbort netted two goals, doubling his career-high. The refereeing had some questionable calls in the game, singling out Brad Marchand it seemed. David Pastrnak is heating up as he pushed his point streak to six games with three goals and seven assists. (Boston Hockey Now)

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night. Penguins’ netminder Tristan Jarry picked up his second-consecutive shutout as he looks to be in a groove. Jake Guentzel pushed his point streak to five games, goal streak to four games. Here are the takeaways. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Call it home-ice advantage as the Florida Panthers have now won 10 straight games on home ice to start this season. They defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-4 in a thrilling game at Florida Live Arena. Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 32 of 36 while forward Frank Vatrano scored twice. (Florida Hockey Now)

The Montreal Canadiens offense exploded for six goals in a 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators Saturday night at the Bell Centre. Ryan Poehling scored twice and Samuel Montembeault made 33 saves as the Habs bounced back from a beat down of their own. Here are the takeaways from the win. (Montreal Hockey Now)

The Toronto Maple Leafs were shut down by Tristan Jarry and the Pittsburgh Penguins as they fell 2-0. The Maple Leafs did get a 5-on-3 power play in the third but failed to generate chances against the penalty kill. Here are the takeaways. (Toronto Hockey Now)

The Washington Capitals have had to rely heavily on their rookies this season due to injuries. In the first period of Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks, Aliaksei Protas picked up the secondary assist on a Connor Sheary goal for his first NHL point. With Protas picking up a point, every rookie has picked up at least a point this season. (Washington Hockey Now)

The Las Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 3-2. It was a sloppy start to the game for Vegas, but they persevered through it. Laurent Brossoit stood tall in goal, Ben Jones made his NHL debut, and Mattias Janmark had a strong showing. Here’s how the game went down. (Vegas Hockey Now)

The San Jose Sharks were shut out by the Washington Capitals on Saturday night 4-0. The game started with a goal that Adin Hill would want to have back, not the best of starts but it was not a terrible first period. It was a tighter game than the scoreboard may show, Ovechkin, adding an empty-netter as well. Here are the game notes from the loss. (San Jose Hockey Now)

The Calgary Flames defeated the New York Islanders by a score of 5-2 at the first-ever game at UBS Arena. Jacob Markstrom was stellar yet again, stopping 34 of 36 shots he faced, while Andrew Mangiapane scored twice to get his club going. Brad Richardson will be an answer to a trivia question in 30 years, as he was the first to put a puck in the net at the brand new arena. Here are the takeaways from the win. (Calgary Hockey Now)

Connor McDavid has extended his point streak to 17 games as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 at Rogers Place on Saturday. McDavid has picked up 32 points on his 17-game point streak, with 12 goals and 20 assists. Leon Draisiatil had a goal, Evan Bouchard picked up two assists, and Stuart Skinner made 29 saves as he impressed yet again.(NHL)