At long last, the Islanders finally have a win in their new home.
After more than three weeks had passed since opening the doors to UBS Arena, New York finally gave its home fans something to cheer about on Saturday night, defeating the Devils 4-2 for the first-ever win for the home team in their shiny new barn.
The Islanders needed a win in the worst way, having dropped 11 of 12 to add to the frustration of failing to get that elusive first win at home, but the stars aligned on Saturday, with New Jersey losing captain Nico Hischier to COVID-19 protocols and starting Akira Schmid in net for his NHL debut, while New York welcomed back Brock Nelson and Casey Cizikas.
“It was as close to a must-win as we’ve had all season,” Zach Parise said.
The Islanders fell behind in the second period but rallied for the win, with one of the more notable goals coming from Parise, his first of the year on the birthday of his late father, who passed away in 2015 after a 17-year NHL career.
"There's not a day that goes by I don't think about him,” Parise said. “I had a good feeling coming to the rink today. It was pretty emotional when that puck went in."
The emotions continued through the final horn, when Islanders fans were finally able to celebrate a win at UBS Arena.
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