Well, today is the day. Two years in the making. The first NHL game to be played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It was originally planed for 2012, but you remember that stinky lock-out that happened. So there has been plenty of time to plan for this historic event.

In a way, it's a shame that it is scheduled against the NJ Devils as we just watched that game on Thursday. But as rivalries are still the thing that drives the NHL, playing against a local 'rival' also ensured a larger ticket turnout. Of course, they couldn't have played the Rangers as I don't believe any MSG employee is allowed to step foot in Barclays until the Islanders officially move. Just my opinion, of course.

So, what was the BIGGEST story from the LAST Isles vs NJ Devils tilt? The creativity shown by Gallant and Baurch. Such gentlemen to actually remove each other's helmets to not break a new NHL rule. Where there is a rule, there is a loophole. And they found it.

These two heavyweights went three rounds on Thursday. How many rounds will they go tonight? Will Gallant even BE in tonight's Isles line-up or will he be held out so as to NOT have a repeat bout? We should have tonight's line-up later this morning once Art Staple and others are at Isles morning skate.

So we will see if the arena and the ticket sales live up to the hype tonight. We'll know for a fact if the change over in business operations makes a huge difference. We'll also see new Captain John Tavares play for the first time in his future new home.

But that doesn't mean there won't be some great moments in the old barn. JT and Matt Moulson both have a lot of love for the loud, old building they've developed their careers in. Moulson told Art Staple on Friday

"As loud as this place can be, how much fun it is to play here, all the history, it's a special place," Moulson said of Nassau Coliseum. "On the opposite end of the spectrum, it will be nice to play in a state of the art facility. Knowing it's right there in Brooklyn, not too far away, is great, too. We owe it to our fans here on Long Island to finish up our time here with some big moments."

That is a great quote from one of our best players. Tonight will be filled with great quotes. I better change the batteries in my recorder.

Per Art Staple's Twitter account earlier:

lines for tonight in BK: Moulson-Tavares-Bouchard, Bailey-Nielsen-Okposo, Martin-Cizikas-McDonald, Boulton-Sundstrom-Johnson.

D/G tonight: Strait-Hamonic, MacDonald-Donovan, Reinhart-Visnovsky. Nabokov and Milner in goal.

It's Sundstrom's birthday. What a gift.

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