Rangers vs. Islanders: 3 things to watch for on verge of elimination from playoff race
At this point, the New York Rangers need a massive miracle to reach the postseason for the fourth straight season — and performances such as their 8-5 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday hardly indicate they are capable of putting it together in the final week.
Needing a miracle and being on the verge of elimination from the playoff race with a week to go is hardly what the Rangers expected this season but it is what the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners are facing in their visit to UBS Arena to face off against the New York Islanders on Thursday.
The Rangers (36-35-7, 79 points) have four games to make up an eight-point deficit with the Montreal Canadiens. The Rangers need to win out and the Canadiens must lose each of their games in regulation for New York to reach the postseason a fourth consecutive season.
If not — and that’s the most likely outcome — the Rangers become the fourth NHL team to go from being the regular-season champs one season to failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs the next.
One of those teams was the 1992-93 Rangers. The end of this season is looking similar to 32 years ago though Adam Graves, Brian Leetch, Mark Messier and Mike Richter are not walking through those locker room doors except in their capacity as Rangers alumni, or in Messier’s case, as part of ABC’s studio panel commenting on the Rangers’ woes.
The Rangers have been outscored 17-6 in a three-game losing streak that coincides with Montreal’s six-game winning streak that has essentially ended their playoff hopes.
The latest loss was another night of defensive disasters since the Rangers constantly broke down defensively, especially in the third period when Tyson Foerster finished off a hat trick. The Rangers allowed six goals in the third period (two empty-net goals) and wound up allowing eight on home ice for the first time since an 8-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 24, 1996.
The Rangers are looking to sweep the season series against the Islanders. They’ve outscored the Islanders 14-3 in the previous three meetings, including a 5-1 rout on Long Island on Feb. 25 when Jonny Brodzinski scored twice in the first period and set up a goal by Matt Rempe. The Rangers also got a 21-save shutout from Igor Shesterkin in a 4-0 win on home ice March 3, when they were percentage points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild-card spot.
Those wins were part of a 15-7-3 stretch that followed the disastrous 4-15-0 skid in November and December which got the Rangers back into the playoff race. Since then, the Rangers are 5-9-3 in their past 17 games, putting them on the brink and in position to miss the postseason for the first time since 2020-21.
The Islanders (34-32-11, 79 points) are facing a similar situation. They were 5-2-1 in eight games from March 4-20 after the previous meeting with the Rangers, a stretch that coincided with trading Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche.
That hot streak moved the Islanders two points behind the Canadiens and since then they are 2-6-3 over their past 11. One of those victories was a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Sunday, a game better known for when Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky on the all-time NHL goals list by scoring his 895th career goal.
The Islanders endured a similar outcome as the Rangers in their previous game, a 7-6 overtime loss at Nashville on Tuesday. The Islanders held a 6-4 lead but gave up two goals in the final 2:07 before falling to the Predators in overtime on a night when Simon Holmstrom scored twice and finished with four points.
Related: Rangers own up to ‘shitty feeling’ with playoff hopes nearing end
3 things to watch for when Rangers visit the Islanders
1. Avoid defensive breakdowns
Virtually all of the goals allowed by the Rangers during this three-game skid are the result of defensive breakdowns, an issue consistent issue all season. The Devils got behind the defense for two goals on special teams in 87 seconds on Saturday. The Lightning found cracks in the defense around the net for three in 1:45 in the first period Monday. And the Flyers easily did the same in the slot during their big third period Wednesday.
After the game, there were seemingly mixed messages with defenseman Adam Fox saying there were breakdowns and coach Peter Laviolette saying there was not any confusion, simply missed assignments.
Those issues even resulted in the Rangers allowing their fourth short-handed goal in six games while the power play went scoreless in three chances.
2. Nyet on goalie duel
Whenever these teams meet, the matchup between goalies — and friends from back home in Russia — Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Sorokin is a compelling storyline.
Unfortunately, the 10th head-to-head meeting between the close friends will not happen since Sorokin sustained a lower-body injury in the second period of the loss at Nashville and won’t play. It is unclear how long he’ll be out.
That means the Rangers will face backup Marcus Hogberg, who is 2-4-2 with a 2.62 goals-against average in 12 games. Hogberg has assumed backup duties since Semyon Varlamov is out for the season with a lower-body injury.
Shesterkin has won the past seven encounters against his buddy Sorokin and is is 7-2-0 in their head-to-head matchups.
Shesterkin is 25-28-5 with a career-high 2.89 goals-against average this season, a by-product of the shoddy defense in front of him. Against the Islanders this season, he has stopped 92 of 95 shots. Shesterkin is 8-8-1 in 17 career games against the Islanders.
3. Jonny Brodzinski a positive in a forgettable season
Despite the massively disappointing season that’s swamped the Rangers, Brodzinski has stood out in a positive way. The 31-year-old has scored an NHL career-high 11 goals in 47 games, playing up and down the lineup in a variety of roles.
Brodzinski was also named the Rangers’ nominee for the Masterton Trophy, a deserving honor for one who’s persevered through much adversity to finally land a regular spot in the NHL.
Brodzinski again rose above the muck Wednesday, when he scored the Rangers’ third goal, to tie the game early in the third period. Brodzinski also scored twice in the last visit to Long Island, has seven goals in his past 21 contests and has been among the few defensively responsible Blueshirt forwards.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere
Cuylle – J.T. Miller – Zibanejad
Kreider – Carrick – Berard
Othmann – Brodzinski –Rempe
Soucy – Fox
Jones – Borgen
Vaakanainen – Schneider
Shesterkin
Quick
Rangers vs. Islanders: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers at New York Islanders
When: Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: UBS Arena
How to watch: MSG2
More About:New York Rangers News