10/16 04:05 PM NHL (1) SAN JOSE SHARKS at (2) NEW YORK ISLANDERS
FREE PICK: (1) SAN JOSE SHARKS -115
It’s the final season for the Islanders at ancient Nassau County Coliseum. The Isles head to Brooklyn next year. But in the meantime, this improving NHL squad will probably suffer thanks to having to play half its games in the town dump.
Make no mistake, I absolutely feel some of the Islanders problems over the years have been directly related to the surroundings. If you think that’s a stretch, think again. To me, the job is immaterial. If the employees have to go to work in a craphole, it’s going to have an impact on production. This isn’t even debatable to me. There’s an absolute correlation between environment and attitude, and the Coliseum is without a doubt the worst facility in the NHL.
(I’m going off on a brief tangent here. This is the crux of the argument I have with too many people on the UNLV football program. I consistently get hammered when I factor in the substandard stadium and facilities as a big part of the reason the program has remained steeped in mediocrity. It’s not the only reason, but if you don’t think it matters, you’re just plain wrong. Go do some research. There are countless studies that prove beyond any doubt that the work environment has a substantial impact on employee production. So for those who want to argue this with me, either all the research is wrong or you are. Period. Now back to our regular programming.)
The Islanders are rising, and I can see them perhaps squeezing into the playoffs this season. I think they’re really going to take off next year when they move to Brooklyn. But I’m not convinced that the sizzling start is a sign that they’ve arrived. No question the goaltending got a big upgrade with the arrival of Jaroslav Halak. John Tavares is a legit star and the supporting cast is definitely better than it has been.
But the better team here is the visitor. San Jose might be the ultimate playoff clunker but from October through mid-April, this team will again be one of the best in the NHL. It’s a veteran cast with plenty of cohesiveness, and the Sharks can still be very explosive.
One thing that hasn’t apparently changed this season is that the West is still better than the East. Sure enough, Western Conference road teams are already off to a great start when visiting Eastern Conference locales.
I was surprised at the opening number on this game, which had the Islanders favored. That’s not the case anymore. San Jose has moved to the chalk in this game, and given the way they’ve started the season, I think that’s totally justified. The Islanders are getting better, but their success last year cam mostly on the road. They’ve been dismal at home with only nine wins it their last 30 games as hosts. Make it nine for 31. I’ll side with the Sharks to come away with the win tonight.
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