Isles kick off epic trip with win in Detroit
Fortunate Bounce Paces New York to “Gritty” Victory over Wings
It was just last week that Islanders interim head coach Doug Weight openly questioned his team’s collective toughness on the road.
He was singing a much different tune after the Brooklyn-based NHL franchise kicked off its epic nine-game road trip with a much-needed 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday night in front of 20,027 fans at Joe Louis Arena.
“I love the grit,” Weight gushed after his team set aside its road woes for at least one night on this three-week odyssey through three time zones. “The guys came together and showed we can be a good road team.”
The Isles (28-21-10), who improved to a still-dismal 8-13-4 away from the friendly confines of Downtown’s Barclays Center, moved into a virtual three-way tie with Florida and Boston for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 66 points.