A win for the Islanders' history books came on this day in Uniondale.
A win for the Islanders' history books came on this day in Uniondale.
On this day in 2018, the New York Islanders made their historic return to Nassau Coliseum.
The team faced the Columbus Blue Jackets and won 3-2 in their first game back at "The Old Barn."
After waiting 1,316 days between their last game at the Coliseum on April 25, 2015, Brendan Burke ushered MSG Networks in for the game with his iconic monologue.
Despite the puck dropping in front of an electric crowd, the Islanders fell behind. Columbus got goals from Markus Hannikainen and Pierre-Luc Dubois to make it 2-0 by the halfway point of the second.
However, the Islanders had the answer, starting a rally with Anders Lee scoring the first goal back at 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, a goal that stood after a review.
Anthony Beauvillier got the game even before the intermission:
In the third, Casey Cizikas potted lit the lamp on a four-on-four, giving the Islanders the lead for good. The Islanders slammed the door on Columbus, ushering in their return to Nassau County.
Before the game, the Islanders began their fourth season at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. After playing on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush for three seasons, in December 2017, the team purchased a parcel of land in Elmont to build a new home for the franchise.
However, as the Islanders prepared for their return to Long Island, a few months later, it was shared that the Islanders were to play 12 games at Nassau Coliseum, which later grew to 21 for the 2018-19 season.
The Islanders had 28 scheduled games for the 2019-20 season, a number that was cut due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Nassau Coliseum was the site of all 28 regular season games and nine postseason games during their playoff run in 2021. The building's final run went out in a blaze of glory, with Beauvillier scoring an overtime winner to force Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Although the Islanders now call UBS Arena their permanent home, their return to Long Island after a brief stay in Brooklyn can be traced back to that fateful night in 2018.