Things aren’t going that badly for the New York Islanders, but their home attendance numbers would tell you otherwise.
The team geared up in its second home game and third overall of the 2018-19 campaign yesterday and put on a show, scoring four straight goals in a 4-0 win over the Cup favourite San Jose Sharks. Would you believe us, though, if we told you that the W came in front of less than 10,000 fans? Or even 9,000? According to Islanders beat writer Andrew Gross, the attendance for yesterday’s game was just 8,790 at the Barclays Center. Pretty remarkable when you consider the arena can fit up to 15,000 + for hockey games.
Okay, so it was a Monday and it wasn’t Thanksgiving in the U.S., but the numbers are still pretty concerning. It’s not like attendance was glowing when John Tavares was still with the team, but things seem to be taking a turn for the worse since his departure. Even without their superstar, New York has managed to win back-to-back game to start the season 2-1.
For those concerned, just know that the Barclays Center won't serve as the Islanders’ home for much longer. Barry Trotz & co. will be moving to Elmont, New York to play in its new Belmont Park Arena and will still play games in their former hometown of Nassau in the meantime. Still, hopefully the numbers don’t dip further than what the hockey world was exposed to on Monday afternoon.
(H/T Andrew Gross)
