from Brian Compton of NHL.com,

The New York Islanders know they won't be sneaking up on teams this season. The element of surprise has evaporated after a second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division and a trip to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Now it's up to the Islanders, who had home-ice advantage in a playoff series for the first time since 1988 and swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference First Round before being swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round, to prove what they accomplished last season wasn't a fluke.

"Expectations will change and the bar will be raised," said Islanders captain Anders Lee, a forward who signed a seven-year, $49 million contract on July 1. "Good teams have to be able to handle that and all those things that go into becoming a championship team."

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Below, watch the preview on the Islanders.