Game Preview: Islanders vs Rangers

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (28-19-5) VS NEW YORK RANGERS (22-25-6)

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The New York Islanders will host the New York Rangers in a Metropolitan Division rivalry matchup on Wednesday night, in the first half of a back-to-back set. It’s also a home-and-home matchup, as the teams will battle again on Thursday at MSG.

The Islanders shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0 on Monday night and notched their first win in three games. Ilya Sorokin saved all 21 shots sent his way and earned his league-leading sixth shutout this season (the Isles lead the league with eight shutouts overall). JG Pageau netted a pair of goals including the game-winning shorthanded goal in the first period, while Mathew Barzal (1G, 1A) and Tony DeAngelo (PPG) also found the back of the net in the win.

The Islanders sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 61 points.

MORNING SKATE LINES

The Islanders had some new faces at morning skate on Wednesday, as defenseman Carson Soucy and forward Ondrej Palat skated with their new team.

Ondrej Palat - Bo Horvat - Emil Heineman
Jonathan Drouin - Mathew Barzal - Anthony Duclair
Anders Lee - JG Pageau - Simon Holmstrom
Kyle MacLean - Casey Cizikas - Marc Gatcomb

Matthew Schaefer - Scott Mayfield
Adam Pelech - Tony DeAngelo
Carson Soucy - Adam Boqvist

ISLANDERS ACQUIRE PALAT, PART WAYS WITH TSYPLAKOV

The Islanders acquired forward Ondrej Palat from the New Jersey Devils, along with a third-round pick in 2026 and sixth-round pick in 2027, in exchange for forward Maxim Tsyplakov.

Palat has played 876 games over 14 seasons and has recorded 515 points (181G, 334A) over that span with a career plus-133 rating. He has played the 12^th most games of any player from the 2011 Draft class. Palat won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.

Tsyplakov, 27, played 104 career games with the Islanders over two seasons and had two points (1G, 1A) through 27 games this year.

ISLANDERS ACQUIRE SOUCY

The Islanders acquired Carson Soucy in exchange for a 2026 third round pick in a trade with the New York Rangers on Monday night.

Soucy, who has had stints with the Minnesota Wild, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks and Rangers prior to landing on Long Island, has recorded eight points (3G, 5A) in 46 games this season. The 31-year-old defenseman added 71 hits, 66 blocked shots and 14 takeaways.

Soucy, who was drafted in the fifth round (137th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild, has 95 points (30G, 65A), a +64 rating and 16:47 TOI/GP in 411 career NHL games.

Soucy will bring reinforcement to the Isles blue line, as Ryan Pulock (day to day, upper body) missed his second straight game on Monday.

HOLMSTROM IN, SHABANOV OUT

Head Coach Patrick Roy said Simon Holmstrom is expected to return to the lineup after missing Monday's game with an illness.

Max Shabanov is expected to come out of the lineup on Wednesday with the addition of Palat. Roy said the decision was due in part to wanting to keep the line of Kyle MacLean, Casey Cizikas and Marc Gatcomb intact.

RITTICH EXPECTED TO START

David Rittich was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate and is expected to start on Wednesday night. Rittich recorded a 27-save shutout against the Rangers on Dec. 27. He is 11-7-3 this season with a 2.57 GAA, a .902 SV% and two shutouts, but is looking to snap a three-game winless stretch (0-2-1). With Rittich playing on Wednesday, Ilya Sorokin is the likely starter for Thursday's rematch against the Rangers at MSG.

SEASON SERIES

This is the third of four meetings between the Islanders and Rangers this season. The Isles have shut out the Rangers in each of the previous two games this season. The Islanders have outscored the Broadway Blueshirts 7-0 over those previous games.

The fourth contest between the two teams will be at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

RANGERS NOTES

New York is coming off a 4-3 overtime win against the Boston Bruins on Monday night. Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller, Will Borgen and Mattew Robertson were the goalscorers for the Rangers in the win.

The Rangers are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games and rank last in the Metropolitan Division with 50 points.

Miller has three goals in his last three games and at least one point in five of his last six. He has earned nine points (3G, 6A) in that six-game stretch. Miller’s 33 points (14G, 19A) is tied with Vincent Trocheck for the third most points on the Rangers this season.

Artemi Panarin found the score sheet (1A) for the first time in three games in Monday’s win. He was previously on a 10-game point streak from Dec. 29 to Jan. 19. Panarin leads the team with 57 points (19G, 38A) this season.

Mika Zibanejad has nine goals this month and is one away from earning the fourth 10-goal month of his career. Zibanejad leads New York with 21 goals and ranks second with 49 points (21G, 28A) this season.

Adam Fox (lower body, LTIR) and Igor Shesterkin (IR) haven't played since Jan. 5. New York is 2-7-0 in their absence. Fox leads all Rangers defenseman with 28 points (4G, 24A) and 20 takeaways, and Shesterkin is 17-12-4 with a 2.45 GAA, a .913 SV% and one shutout this season.

New York owns the fourth best power-play (30.0%) in the league this month but haven’t scored on the man-advantage in their last three games.