Game Preview: Islanders at Rangers

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (18-13-2) AT NEW YORK RANGERS (18-11-5)
7 PM | MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
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The New York Islanders season-long five-game road trip wraps up close to home, as the Isles visit the New York Rangers at MSG on Thursday night at 7 p.m.
The Islanders are 1-1-2 through the first four games of the trip, picking up points in shootout losses to the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche, scoring a win over the Vegas Golden Knights and falling to the Arizona Coyotes.

Most recently, the Isles fell 1-0 in a shootout to the reigning Stanley Cup champion Avalanche, their first 1-0 shootout loss since April 22, 2021 vs Washington. Ilya Sorokin made 46 saves in the shootout loss and was credited for his third shutout of the season.
The competition doesn't let up, as the Rangers had just won seven straight games prior to a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night. Chris Kreider scored both goals in the Rangers losing effort.
The Islanders have won both meetings against the Rangers this season, scoring a 3-0 shutout at UBS Arena on Oct. 26 and a 4-3 win at MSG on Nov. 8.
"It's a great rivalry between both the teams," Zach Parise said. "We've played well against them so far this year, and we'd love to get a third win out of the series and standings wise, it's really important."
While the rivalry always adds an intensity to Islanders-Rangers games, Thursday's tilt is an important one in the tight Metropolitan Division standings. The Islanders (38 points) and Rangers (41 points) currently occupy the two Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference, with the Isles holding a game in hand. While it's still relatively early, only six points separate second from sixth in the Metro, so every point is crucial in divisional games.
"It's something special," Oliver Wahlstrom said of Isles-Rangers games. "You feel it when you step on the ice even in warm ups. Both teams going at it and there's a good respect level to there, so it's good fun hockey."
The Islanders have won five straight games at MSG and are 18-5-0 in their last 23 trips to Manhattan.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• Ilya Sorokin's third shutout of the season was also the 13th of his career in just 94 starts. Per ESPN Stats and Info, Sorokin's recorded a shutout in 13.8% of his career starts, which is the highest rate of anyone to debut in the NHL's modern era (1943-44), with a minimum of 90 starts.
  Sorokin didn't get the win, falling to 0-5-1 in his last six starts, but the 46-save performance was a dominant one. Sorokin is 3-1-0 lifetime against the Rangers, with a 1.99 GAA, a .938 SV% and one shutout. That includes his NHL debut, which was a loss that saw him thrust into action after an injury to Semyon Varlamov in warmups.
  Sorokin's last game against the Rangers was a 41-save shutout at UBS Arena earlier this season.
  - Semyon Varlamov did not skate in Wednesday's practice and is still day to day with a lower-body injury. Varlamov was hurt in the third period of Saturday's win in Vegas. Cory Schneider was recalled to back up Sorokin. Schneider could see action during the Islanders back-to-back, which concludes on Friday against the Florida Panthers, though there is precedent for Sorokin starting on consecutive nights, but Head Coach Lane Lambert did not tip his hand as to his goalie plans.
  - Cal Clutterbuck was placed on IR, retroactive to Dec. 16, on Wednesday morning. Simon Holmstrom and Hudson Fasching were officially recalled from Bridgeport in a corresponding move, but both players had played in the Islanders' previous two games.
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  - Kyle Palmieri (day to day, upper body) is reportedly skating, Head Coach Lane Lambert said on Wednesday, but Adam Pelech (IR, upper body) is not.
  - Mathew Barzal has 31 points (8G, 23A) in 26 career games against the Rangers. Brock Nelson leads all active Islanders with 15 goals against the Blueshirts. Anthony Beauvillier has 23 points (13G, 10A) in 26 career games vs the Rangers.

RANGERS NOTES:

• Artemi Panarin has 18 points (5G, 13A) in 17 games against the Islanders since joining the Rangers in 2018. The Islanders have actually done a good job of containing Panarin, as he's been held pointless in 10 contests against the Islanders. Half of Panarin's points against the Islanders have come in two games.
  - Igor Shesterkin is 16-5-4 this season with a 2.42 GAA, a .918 SV% and one shutout. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner has had trouble with the Islanders in his career, going 1-7-1 against the blue and orange with a 3.15 GAA and a .884 SV%. Shesterkin has lost his last three starts against the Islanders.
  - Mika Zibanejad is second on the Rangers with 37 points (15G, 22A) in 34 games. While slap shots have declined around the league, they are still one of Zibanejad's biggest asset. The Swede has taken a league-high 53 clappers this season and six of his 15 goals have come via slap shot.
  - Since Dec. 5 - when the Rangers' seven-game win streak started - New York scored a league-high 34 goals, averaging 4.25 per game. The Rangers power play clicked at 40% over that span (6-for-15).
  - The Rangers have thrown 952 hits this season, good for third in the NHL. The Rangers 485 blocked shots are 10th.
  - The Rangers traded Ryan Reaves to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 18 for a 2025 fifth-round pick.