NEW YORK ISLANDERS VS PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

GAME 1: BARCLAYS CENTER - BUY TICKETS

GAME 2: PPL CENTER, ALLENTOWN, PA

7 P.M. - FOLLOW ON TWITTER

There was a notable absence at last year's New York Islanders Training Camp. 

While John Tavares went out to win the 2016 World Cup of Hockey with Team Canada, the captain's stall at Northwell Health Ice Center sat vacant for the first two weeks of camp. It's not that the Islanders didn't work without their best player, it's just that something was missing. Doug Weight summed it up best: a presence. 

The New York Islanders suffered their first loss of the preseason on Monday, falling 1-0 in overtime to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Neal Pionk scored the game's only goal 2:31 into the extra frame, as the Islanders lost a closely-contested and tightly-called game. Jaroslav Halak (22 saves) and Eamon McAdam (19 saves) combined for 41 saves in the loss. 

"It was a tough game, but we battled," Head Coach Doug Weight said. "The goaltending was outstanding for us. Jaro was great and gave us a chance and Eamon came in and was stellar, so it was good to see."

The preseason rolls on as the New York Islanders battle the New York Rangers on Monday night at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m., MSG+). 

The Islanders are 1-0 in preseason play, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in overtime on Sunday afternoon at NYCB Live. John Tavares keyed the Islanders' comeback with a pair of goals, including the OT winner. 

Tavares and Sunday's group will sit out tonight, as a new set of Islanders will make their preseason debut. Monday's lineup includes Brock Nelson, Cal Clutterbuck, Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Ho-Sang up front, while mainstays like Johnny Boychuk and Calvin de Haan will anchor the blue line. 

It says preseason on the schedule, but it sure didn't feel like it in the building. 

Sunday's sold out game at NYCB Live felt like the opposite of an exhibition contest. The Stanley Cup and NHL Centennial Fan Arena were on hand, as were 13,917 fans, who almost all showed up hours before puck drop to tailgate for the matinee affair. 

And for all that was different about Nassau Coliseum for the Islanders' preseason return, one thing was definitely the same - the noise. 

It meant something for John Tavares to be able to play in Sunday's preseason game at Nassau Coliseum. 

It meant a lot more to be able to score the OT winner, as the captain led the Islanders to a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in front of a sellout crowd at NYCB Live. 

The barn was rocking on Sunday, as the New York Islanders beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in OT. John Tavares' OT winner capped the preseason win, but Sunday's game was an all-day affair. From fans showing up at 9 a.m. to tailgate, to an appearance of the Stanley Cup,Sunday's game was one to remember. Relive some of the best sights and sounds from Sunday. 

NEW YORK ISLANDERS VS PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

1 P.M. NYCB LIVE HOME OF NASSAU VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM

RADIO: 88.7 WRHU, SIRIUSXM CHANNEL 91, HOFSTRA APP

LIVE STREAM ON NEWYORKISLANDERS.COM

What was the last preseason game you remembered? 

Think about it: what was the last preseason game you looked back on and thought about even a month later? In the grand scheme of an 82-game regular season and playoffs, these are the forgotten games. 

But Sunday's preseason game at Nassau Coliseum - now known as NYCB Live - is different. Sunday's matinee against the Philadelphia Flyers may be about as memorable an Islanders preseason game as you'll find. 

The Stanley Cup being on Long Island was reason enough for hockey fans to flood Northwell Health Ice Center on Saturday morning. 

That's all it took to convince Aaron Crocco to bring his two six-year-old daughters Emma and Hannah down to the Islanders' rink. The girls - who in true hockey fashion and are each missing a front tooth - are already Islanders fans, but their dad wasn't going to pass up a chance for them to see hockey's Holy Grail in person.