One week down in the NHL schedule and already every team in the league has at least one overtime loss on their card with no 100% record showing just how wide open things could be in the race for the Stanley Cup this season.
Only Buffalo, Dallas and the Islanders have yet to taste a defeat in 60 minutes, the latter two of those teams both going down to three overtime/shootout losses in what should really be seen as positive starts to the season for franchises that endured tough times in 2008-9.
The Islanders have been one of the surprise packages of the opening seven days despite failing three times to convert excellent normal time performances into victories against tough foes in Stanley Cup champions Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Boston.
Ahead of their Columbus Day showdown with free-scoring Los Angeles, though, it was the star play of rookie John Tavares that had Islanders fans licking their lips in anticipation of just what they had drafted earlier in the year.
