Islanders Schedule 2011: Road Trip To Florida This Week

The New York Islanders are off to a strong start this season, sitting at 3-1 after finishing last week with a win against the New York Rangers. John Tavares has been terrific, and is tied with two others for the most points in the NHL so far.

But the Islanders know that a good start does not a season make. Last season New York opened 4-3 before dropping 20 of their next 21 games. Translation: The Islanders need to keep the peddle to the metal during this week's schedule, which features a pair of road games in Florida.

Here are a couple keys to watch:

1. Can Tavares keep it up? Tavares has been one of the best players in the NHL so far. He had a hat-trick against the Rangers and, as Dominik wrote at Lighthouse Hockey, "John Tavares was everywhere." That pretty much sums it up.

2. The Islanders continue to play without Rick DiPietro, who remains out indefinitely after suffering a concussion.

Vs. Tampa Bay on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. EST. This is a rematch of a game the Islanders won earlier this season. This time, however, the Lightning are not in the middle of a long road trip.

Vs. Florida on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. EST. The Panthers is 2-1 on the season, so far. for a preview of this week's matchups, check out Florida's game against the Lightning on Monday night.

For more on the Islanders, check out our blog Lighthouse Hockey. And get the full Islanders schedule for TV schedule and game times.