Time to mark some calendars, save some money and plan some road trips.
The Islanders 2016-17 regular season schedule was released today, packed with 82 games designed to drive you absolutely bananas between October and April.
A quick glance at some of the highlights:
There are 13 sets of back-to-backs including four in March. Once again, that month looks like quite a gauntlet, as it was last season.
There are 18 weekend games, per the club's release. Seems like fewer 7:30 starts than last season as Barclays Center continues to try to find the best mix while also balancing a million other events.
Sunday games appear to be set at 6:00 pm, which is different but also kinda nice with school/work the next day.
Looks like the Islanders five-day second half bye week, a new feature added by the NHLPA, will be the first week in January. They play on Saturday New Year's Eve in Winnipeg and don't play again until the following Friday in Denver. Personally, I wouldn't want a bye that early while some teams get them later in the season (and closer to the playoffs), but I'm not the guy with the incredibly hard job of making 30 schedules up.
The longest home stand is six games from January 19th through the 31st.
The longest road trip is a monster nine-game beast from February 21st through March 11th that takes the Islanders from Detroit, up to Montreal, through the Midwest straight to Dallas, then up through Western Canada. Jesus Christ.
That trip by the way includes the Islanders' final regular season visit to Joe Louis Arena and first visit to Rogers Place, the new home of the Oilers.
The four games against the Rangers are spread out. After the opener, the two teams don't play again until December 6th. Then once in February and once in March.
The first game against the reigning champion Penguins is October 27th in Pittsburgh.
Just weird: The Islanders don't host an Eastern Conference team until almost Halloween.
Like pictures and calendars with boxes? Here you go.
___
The full schedule:
DATE
VISITOR
HOME
TIME (ET)
Thu Oct 13, 2016
ISLANDERS
RANGERS
7:00 PM
Sat Oct 15, 2016
ISLANDERS
CAPITALS
7:00 PM
Sun Oct 16, 2016
DUCKS
ISLANDERS
6:00 PM
Tue Oct 18, 2016
SHARKS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Fri Oct 21, 2016
COYOTES
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Sun Oct 23, 2016
WILD
ISLANDERS
6:00 PM
Wed Oct 26, 2016
CANADIENS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Thu Oct 27, 2016
ISLANDERS
PENGUINS
7:00 PM
Sun Oct 30, 2016
MAPLE LEAFS
ISLANDERS
6:00 PM
November 2016
DATE
VISITOR
HOME
TIME (ET)
Tue Nov 1, 2016
LIGHTNING
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Thu Nov 3, 2016
FLYERS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Sat Nov 5, 2016
OILERS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Mon Nov 7, 2016
CANUCKS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Thu Nov 10, 2016
ISLANDERS
LIGHTNING
7:30 PM
Sat Nov 12, 2016
ISLANDERS
PANTHERS
7:00 PM
Mon Nov 14, 2016
LIGHTNING
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Fri Nov 18, 2016
PENGUINS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Tue Nov 22, 2016
ISLANDERS
DUCKS
10:00 PM
Wed Nov 23, 2016
ISLANDERS
KINGS
10:30 PM
Fri Nov 25, 2016
ISLANDERS
SHARKS
4:00 PM
Mon Nov 28, 2016
FLAMES
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Wed Nov 30, 2016
PENGUINS
ISLANDERS
8:00 PM
December 2016
DATE
VISITOR
HOME
TIME (ET)
Thu Dec 1, 2016
ISLANDERS
CAPITALS
7:00 PM
Sun Dec 4, 2016
RED WINGS
ISLANDERS
6:00 PM
Tue Dec 6, 2016
RANGERS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Thu Dec 8, 2016
BLUES
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Sat Dec 10, 2016
ISLANDERS
BLUE JACKETS
7:00 PM
Tue Dec 13, 2016
CAPITALS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Thu Dec 15, 2016
BLACKHAWKS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Fri Dec 16, 2016
ISLANDERS
SABRES
7:00 PM
Sun Dec 18, 2016
SENATORS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Tue Dec 20, 2016
ISLANDERS
BRUINS
7:00 PM
Fri Dec 23, 2016
SABRES
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Tue Dec 27, 2016
CAPITALS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Thu Dec 29, 2016
ISLANDERS
WILD
8:00 PM
Sat Dec 31, 2016
ISLANDERS
JETS
7:00 PM
January 2017
DATE
VISITOR
HOME
TIME (ET)
Fri Jan 6, 2017
ISLANDERS
AVALANCHE
9:00 PM
Sat Jan 7, 2017
ISLANDERS
COYOTES
8:00 PM
Wed Jan 11, 2017
PANTHERS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Fri Jan 13, 2017
ISLANDERS
PANTHERS
7:30 PM
Sat Jan 14, 2017
ISLANDERS
HURRICANES
8:00 PM
Mon Jan 16, 2017
ISLANDERS
BRUINS
1:00 PM
Thu Jan 19, 2017
STARS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Sat Jan 21, 2017
KINGS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Sun Jan 22, 2017
FLYERS
ISLANDERS
6:00 PM
Tue Jan 24, 2017
BLUE JACKETS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Thu Jan 26, 2017
CANADIENS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Tue Jan 31, 2017
CAPITALS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
February 2017
DATE
VISITOR
HOME
TIME (ET)
Fri Feb 3, 2017
ISLANDERS
RED WINGS
7:30 PM
Sat Feb 4, 2017
HURRICANES
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Mon Feb 6, 2017
MAPLE LEAFS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Thu Feb 9, 2017
ISLANDERS
FLYERS
7:00 PM
Sat Feb 11, 2017
ISLANDERS
SENATORS
1:00 PM
Sun Feb 12, 2017
AVALANCHE
ISLANDERS
6:00 PM
Tue Feb 14, 2017
ISLANDERS
MAPLE LEAFS
7:30 PM
Thu Feb 16, 2017
RANGERS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Sat Feb 18, 2017
ISLANDERS
DEVILS
7:00 PM
Sun Feb 19, 2017
DEVILS
ISLANDERS
6:00 PM
Tue Feb 21, 2017
ISLANDERS
RED WINGS
7:30 PM
Thu Feb 23, 2017
ISLANDERS
CANADIENS
7:30 PM
Sat Feb 25, 2017
ISLANDERS
BLUE JACKETS
5:00 PM
March 2017
DATE
VISITOR
HOME
TIME (ET)
Thu Mar 2, 2017
ISLANDERS
STARS
8:30 PM
Fri Mar 3, 2017
ISLANDERS
BLACKHAWKS
8:30 PM
Sun Mar 5, 2017
ISLANDERS
FLAMES
4:00 PM
Tue Mar 7, 2017
ISLANDERS
OILERS
9:00 PM
Thu Mar 9, 2017
ISLANDERS
CANUCKS
10:00 PM
Sat Mar 11, 2017
ISLANDERS
BLUES
8:00 PM
Mon Mar 13, 2017
HURRICANES
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Tue Mar 14, 2017
ISLANDERS
HURRICANES
7:00 PM
Thu Mar 16, 2017
JETS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Sat Mar 18, 2017
BLUE JACKETS
ISLANDERS
1:00 PM
Wed Mar 22, 2017
ISLANDERS
RANGERS
8:00 PM
Fri Mar 24, 2017
ISLANDERS
PENGUINS
7:00 PM
Sat Mar 25, 2017
BRUINS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Mon Mar 27, 2017
PREDATORS
ISLANDERS
7:00 PM
Thu Mar 30, 2017
ISLANDERS
FLYERS
7:00 PM
Fri Mar 31, 2017
DEVILS
ISLANDERS
7:30 PM
April 2017
DATE
VISITOR
HOME
TIME (ET)
Sun Apr 2, 2017
ISLANDERS
SABRES
3:00 PM
Tue Apr 4, 2017
ISLANDERS
PREDATORS
8:00 PM
Thu Apr 6, 2017
ISLANDERS
HURRICANES
7:00 PM
Sat Apr 8, 2017
ISLANDERS
DEVILS
6:00 PM
Sun Apr 9, 2017
SENATORS
ISLANDERS
5:00 PM
___
The home portion of the schedule for the team's second season in Brooklyn
DATE
VISITOR
TIME (ET)
Sun Oct 16, 2016
DUCKS
6:00 PM
Tue Oct 18, 2016
SHARKS
7:00 PM
Fri Oct 21, 2016
COYOTES
7:00 PM
Sun Oct 23, 2016
WILD
6:00 PM
Wed Oct 26, 2016
CANADIENS
7:00 PM
Sun Oct 30, 2016
MAPLE LEAFS
6:00 PM
Tue Nov 1, 2016
LIGHTNING
7:00 PM
Thu Nov 3, 2016
FLYERS
7:00 PM
Sat Nov 5, 2016
OILERS
7:00 PM
Mon Nov 7, 2016
CANUCKS
7:00 PM
Mon Nov 14, 2016
LIGHTNING
7:00 PM
Fri Nov 18, 2016
PENGUINS
7:00 PM
Mon Nov 28, 2016
FLAMES
7:00 PM
Wed Nov 30, 2016
PENGUINS
8:00 PM
Sun Dec 4, 2016
RED WINGS
6:00 PM
Tue Dec 6, 2016
RANGERS
7:00 PM
Thu Dec 8, 2016
BLUES
7:00 PM
Tue Dec 13, 2016
CAPITALS
7:00 PM
Thu Dec 15, 2016
BLACKHAWKS
7:00 PM
Sun Dec 18, 2016
SENATORS
7:00 PM
Fri Dec 23, 2016
SABRES
7:00 PM
Tue Dec 27, 2016
CAPITALS
7:00 PM
Wed Jan 11, 2017
PANTHERS
7:00 PM
Thu Jan 19, 2017
STARS
7:00 PM
Sat Jan 21, 2017
KINGS
7:00 PM
Sun Jan 22, 2017
FLYERS
6:00 PM
Tue Jan 24, 2017
BLUE JACKETS
7:00 PM
Thu Jan 26, 2017
CANADIENS
7:00 PM
Tue Jan 31, 2017
CAPITALS
7:00 PM
Sat Feb 4, 2017
HURRICANES
7:00 PM
Mon Feb 6, 2017
MAPLE LEAFS
7:00 PM
Sun Feb 12, 2017
AVALANCHE
6:00 PM
Thu Feb 16, 2017
RANGERS
7:00 PM
Sun Feb 19, 2017
DEVILS
6:00 PM
Mon Mar 13, 2017
HURRICANES
7:00 PM
Thu Mar 16, 2017
JETS
7:00 PM
Sat Mar 18, 2017
BLUE JACKETS
1:00 PM
Sat Mar 25, 2017
BRUINS
7:00 PM
Mon Mar 27, 2017
PREDATORS
7:00 PM
Fri Mar 31, 2017
DEVILS
7:30 PM
Sun Apr 9, 2017
SENATORS
5:00 PM