Nassau Coliseum era ends, but Islanders have plenty to look forward to

WASHINGTON — Nassau Coliseum, more than 200 miles away, wasn't that far from the New York Islanders' minds before Game 7.

Before the series' decisive game, the team played music and chants from their Uniondale, N.Y., home. "(The fans) were definitely in our thoughts," coach Jack Capuano said.

A win would have guaranteed at least two more games at the arena that the franchise has called home for 43 years. Instead, as the final horn sounded at the Verizon Center, it marked the end of an era.

The Islanders fell 2-1 to the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, leaving only packing up to do. Next season, the Islanders will move into Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

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"We wanted to get back (to the Coliseum)," Capuano said. "I thought our guys really understood how important the season that we had correlated with the fan base and the energy that we built off."

It was the organization's eighth consecutive playoff series defeat, a streak that dates to 1993.

"We wanted to play the Rangers really bad, at home and wanted to keep playing more games," winger Kyle Okposo said. "We felt like we had enough to raise a banner this year."

New York was under constant pressure from the opening faceoff. The Islanders didn't get a shot on net in the final 15:37 of the first period and didn't fare much better the rest of the way, finishing with 11 shots, an NHL record for fewest shots in a Game 7.

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"They came out hard, played aggressive," captain John Tavares said. "We seemed like we didn't want to make a mistake and it put us behind the eight ball."

Tavares, who finished second in the NHL with 86 points in the regular season, was unnoticeable in the loss, failing to register a single shot on goal and going just 2-for-11 on faceoffs.

"We're disappointed for them (fans)," Tavares said. "I don't think we talked about it a whole lot, but we knew what this season meant, playing at the Coliseum. How they responded to us was absolutely tremendous."

The Islanders won 47 games in the regular season, the most since the team won 50 and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1983-84.

"Nobody picked us, even to be in the playoffs, never mind anything else," Capuano said.

"We got no respect. It's about the trust in that room that we talked about at the beginning of the season. Not what the media thought of us, not what the experts thought of us."

Said Tavares: "It's hard to believe it's over."

But as one era ends, another begins full of promise, as the Islanders move into their new home this fall. The experience of a hard-fought seven-game series will surely be a positive for a talented young team that aspires to reach great heights.

"The only way to learn is to go through it," Capuano said. "I'm proud of the kids."

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