ELMONT, N.Y. — Take a look at the two photos we’ve got here. The first, from Monday’s groundbreaking for the Belmont Park arena, is a sight to behold: shovels in the dirt, bulldozers and cranes and excavators in a sea of moved earth in the background.



The governor, the NHL commissioner, the Isles co-owner and a raft of players all smiling through the hot, sticky day, with a slew of fans and media on hand. It was an important day for everyone who cares about the Islanders, the next step in a long, long process to get this team into its own new building in time for the 2021-22 season.



The other photo, from 21 months earlier, featured the same sort of optimism. It was taken in a VIP room not far from the second picture and it was the first step in this arena process, when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, commissioner Gary Bettman and Isles co-owner Jon Ledecky made the initial announcement that the Islanders, in partnership with a host of heavy hitters, were...