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NHL InsiderHEADLINESAT THE RINKNHL INSIDEROVER THE BOARDSPLAYER SAFETYFANTASYIslanders early success to be tested by road stretchWednesday, 10.29.2014 / 9:34 AM / NHL InsiderBy John Kreiser?-?NHL.com Managing Editor CommentPrintE-mailShare with your FriendsUNIONDALE, N.Y. -- At 6-3-0, the New York Islanders are off to their best start in 13 years. Their challenge during the next few weeks is to show this fast start is not a mirage.The arrival of November, a month that usually includes at least one tough stretch of road games, has been a harbinger of bad things to come for the Islanders in recent years. All too often,Tony Esposito Jersey Black, any optimism generated in October has blown away like autumn leaves, sending the Islanders on their way to another early summer vacation. For example, a 6-5-3 start through Nov. 2 of last season collapsed under the weight of a 2-11-0 showing through the rest of the month, part of a 3-18-0 stretch that all but ended their playoff hopes.But 2014-15 is a new season,Duncan Keith Red Premier Jersey, and the Islanders are confident that this time, it's going to be different.Beginning Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche, the Islanders embark on a five-game trip that also includes games against the three California teams before ending with a game against the Arizona Coyotes.New York comes home on Nov. 11 to host Colorado,Marian Hossa Jersey with Stanley Cup Finals, then heads back on the road for weekend games against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. That's a 17-day stretch with seven of eight games on the road.But this group of Islanders believes it has the talent and depth to win where previous teams haven't. Coach Jack Capuano is actually looking forward to being tested on the road.For me, it's going to measure where we're at, he said. You talk about some of the teams we're going to play -- these are elite teams, teams that you guys [the media] have picked to probably get to the Stanley Cup Final. It's always a good measuring stick for us.Despite a 4-3 home loss to the sub-.500 Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, the Islanders head for Colorado as the first-place team in the Metropolitan Division. They've beaten the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers on the road and the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars at home. The Islanders are averaging 3.78 non-shootout goals per game, second in the NHL and enough to overcome a defense that is in the bottom third of the League in goals allowed.A big reason for the improvement and the basis for the faith that a tough road stretch won't ruin their season are the offseason moves made by general manager Garth Snow. The Islanders have two new goaltenders (Jaroslav Halak and Chad Johnson) and two top-four defensemen who've played on recent Stanley Cup-winning teams (Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy),Stan Mikita Jersey, as well as top-nine forwards Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolay Kulemin, longtime friends who wanted to reunite and signed with New York.We talked before the season that we wanted to come out and ma