#Islanders confident in NHL bubble amid MLB coronavirus crisis

Fresh off their first practice in Toronto, Islanders players say they are confident in the bubble system the NHL has set up, even as they watch Major League Baseball’s coronavirus struggles from afar.

“They’ve been doing such a good job throughout the league … you see all the precautions that we’ve been going through,” said defenseman Johnny Boychuk. “You see what happened this morning with the MLB, but I’m pretty confident that we can keep going. Us being in the bubble will definitely help because we’re not going to be traveling too much or at all, actually. I’m pretty confident that it’ll go smoothly.”

Eleven Miami Marlins players and two coaches have tested positive for coronavirus, leading to their game against the Orioles in Miami and the Yankees’ game in Phildelphia Monday postponed.

The Islanders will play one exhibition game on Wednesday night against the Rangers before opening their best-of-five play-in round series vs. the Florida Panthers. That’s if all continues to go well for the NHL, which said in a statement Monday that no coronavirus-positive results were found in 4,256 tests of more than 800 players from July 18-25.

Isles forward Matt Martin said the NBA and its bubble is the closest comparison to what the NHL is attempting to do.

“For the most part, I think it’s gone pretty well for them and I know a few guys have left the bubble and they’re on 14-day quarantines and stuff like that, but their bubble situation has been pretty strong,” Martin said. “The MLB is a little bit of a different ballgame than what we’re doing because they’re going home, they’re traveling to other cities, they’re doing all these different things and their exposure is a little different than [ours].

“I think the NHL and NHLPA have done a great job to give us a safe environment. I think they’d made our health and safety a priority.”