First round schedule for NY Islanders first playoff games at UBS Arena released

The NY Islanders return to the postseason means that UBS Arena will host Stanley Cup Playoffs hockey for the first time in its brief history. Late on Friday night, the NHL released the remaining dates for the Islanders' first-round series against the Metropolitan Division Carolina Hurricanes, setting the dates for all seven games and the times for Games 1-4.

Here is the schedule for the first round match-up:

• Monday, April 17: at Carolina - 7:00 PM ET
• Wednesday, April 19 at Carolina - 7:00 PM ET
• Friday, April 21 vs. Carolina - 7:00 PM ET
• Sunday, April 23 vs. Carolina - 1:00 PM ET
• *Tuesday, April 25 at Carolina - TBD
• *Friday, April 28 vs. Carolina - TBD
• *Sunday, April 30 at Carolina - TBD

Weekend home games in the playoffs at UBS Arena?

What could be better?

The fourth-generation arena was built specifically for hockey, and ownership made sure many of the characteristics of the Nassau Coliseum, such as the superior sight lines and low ceiling. The team's playoff push, especially the playoff-clinching game Wednesday night against the Montreal Canadiens, provided a glimpse into just how loud the new arena can sound like the old and provide a home-ice advantage for the Islanders in the postseason.

I thought the fans were great tonight. We feed off that. The last couple of minutes were certainly amazing. We look forward to them being louder in the playoffs.

During the regular season, the Islanders had a 25-13-3 record at home and the second-best in the Metropolitan Division and fifth-best in the Eastern Conference.

“It was the loudest I've ever heard that building, defenseman Noah Dobson said. " [The fans] have been behind us all year & supported us, so for us to give them something to cheer about in the last game of the season, it was great. I'm sure they will be even louder when we come back home.”