On the eve of their season opener against the New York Rangers, the New York Islanders were ready to move past the succes they had last season and turn the page to the new year.

That’s not to say that they want to forget the lessons they learned from the organization’s first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 1993. It won’t be a simple task considering the circumstances. Even under a normal year, it’s a tough feat to accomplish.

With a condensed 56 game schedule, Islanders management just wants to see one simple thing.

“What we want to do right now is just simply compete against ourselves to be the best we can be,” Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said on Wednesday following the team’s roster announcement. “Ask each one of our players to just come each and every night and understand and accept their role. Collectively let the end result take care of itself. I think we want to simplify it.

“I don’t think we want to look back on the past, yet you can’t forget it.”