The Islanders know, more than ever, that they can't afford to get off to a slow start this season. New York began 1-17-3 two years ago and hit a 2-10-4 rut five games into the 2011-12 campaign. The 48-game schedule means a fast start is more important than ever. "It's something you hope we've learned from," Tavares said. "We're trying to move past the last couple seasons and improve, just be more consistent night in and night out."