Rangers vs. Islanders: 3 things to watch for in crucial rivalry game
Rivalry games between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders take on a whole different level of meaning when they’re played during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, the Rangers’ sweep in the first round of the 1994 postseason is the last time these New York rivals met in the playoffs.
So, the next best thing is when the two New York teams are each battling for the same playoff spot. That hasn’t happened too often the past 30 years — although between them, the Rangers and Islanders have appeared in four of the past five Eastern Conference Finals — without ever facing each other in the playoffs to get there.
With two months remaining this season, the Rangers and Islanders are separated by three points with each eyeing a wild-card berth into the playoffs. That should bring extra juice to their clash at UBS Arena on Tuesday.
The Rangers (28-25-4) are 11th in the Eastern Conference, three points up on the 12th-place Islanders (25-24-7), who have a game in hand. The Rangers are also two points out of the second wild card, which is held by the Ottawa Senators, who do not play again until Wednesday.
There are other teams in the way, but Tuesday it’s all about Rangers vs. Islanders.
The Blueshirts had a mixed bag of a weekend, splitting a pair of games against the two bottom feeders in the East.
They lost badly 8-2 to the Buffalo Sabres and somehow defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 despite being run out of the building in the opening 40 minutes.
The Islanders lost 4-3 to the Dallas Stars on Sunday and have dropped three straight and four out of five. Top defenseman Noah Dobson is eligible to play after spending 10 games on LTIR, but it’s not known is he will be activated. Defensemen Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield each returned from injury against the Stars. The Islanders remain without injured star forward Mathew Barzal.
The Rangers are a bit banged up too. Chris Kreider missed the Penguins game with an unspecified injury and rookie forward Brennan Othmann was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League in case Kreider can’t play.
Related: Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin put friendship aside as Rangers set to play Islanders
3 things to watch for when Rangers visit Islanders
1. Play like you mean it
After two pretty lousy games out of the break — and that overrides the fact they won in Pittsburgh — the Rangers need to show more jump, a higher compete level and more attention to defending and playing a smart game when they visit the Islanders on Tuesday.
And really, if playing their local rival in a playoff race doesn’t get the blood flowing and heart racing, then the Rangers have far bigger issues than we all thought.
It’s crazy that we’re still talking about compete level. But it’s a massive issue with the Rangers, one they sort of rectified with a spirited third period in Pittsburgh. But don’t be afraid to compete for 60 minutes, fellas. It should be the least they can do.
2. Be special
Special teams is the area where the Rangers can exploit the Islanders. Coming into play Tuesday, the Islanders are dead last on the power play, ranked 32nd at a dismal 11.4 percent. They’ve scored just 15 power-play goals all season, including one in the past 10 games. Consider that the Rangers have nine short-handed goals — third most in the NHL — from their fourth-ranked PK unit.
Not much better on the penalty kill for the Islanders. They are 31st in the League at 70 percent, perhaps giving the uneven Rangers power play a chance to find some rhythm and production.
3. Foxy
It hasn’t been a standout season for Adam Fox, and his play at the 4 Nations Face-Off wasn’t up to his high standards. But at the end of the day, Fox is far and away the most important defenseman on the Rangers roster and he’s quietly doing some very good things, as usual.
Fox carries a six-game point streak (two goals, five assists) into the game Tuesday, and scored the game-winning goal in the comeback victory Sunday against the Penguins. He is tied for third among NHL defensemen with 42 assists and tied for fifth with 47 points. He has 16 points (two goals, 14 assists) in 24 games against the Islanders.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Panarin – Miller – Lafreniere
Cuylle – Zibanejad- Smith
Kaliyev – Trocheck – Vesey
Brodzinski – Carrick – Rempe
Lindgren – Fox
K. Miller – Borgen
Vaakanainen – Schneider
Shesterkin
Quick
Rangers vs. Islanders: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders
When: Tuesday Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: UBS Arena
How to watch: MSG
More About:New York Rangers News