Game Preview: Islanders vs. Rangers

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (28-13-4) VS. NEW YORK RANGERS (23-16-6)
7 P.M. | NASSAU COLISEUM
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What better way for the New York Islanders to get back on home ice at Nassau Coliseum than to open up a three-game homestand with a rivalry tilt against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night. It'll be the sixth meeting of the regular season against the storied crosstown foes and the Islanders lead the season series three games to two (and six points to five).

The Islanders return to Long Island following a three-game road trip where they went 1-2-0, suffering a pair of losses to Boston in a back-to-back set. The team earned its sole win of the trip on Sunday night as they edged Philadelphia 1-0 in overtime. Nick Leddy deposited the game winner 2:23 into OT, while Ilya Sorokin came up with a dominant 30-save shutout to 'steal the game' pick up his third clean sheet of his rookie season.
"You need your goaltender to sometimes steal you a game," Head Coach Barry Trotz said. "I thought he stole it in the first for us and gave us a chance to sort of right the ship, which in the second and third period we did."
Since last facing the Islanders on April 11 and suffering a 3-2 overtime loss, the Rangers have won four-straight games, all of which were against the New Jersey Devils. The Blueshirts denied the Devils' attempted comeback on Sunday as Mika Zibanejad scored a power-play goal in the third period to break a 3-3 tie and give his team the game-winner. Chris Kreider opened up scoring for the Rangers on the power play while Vitali Kravtsov, Alexis Lafreniere and Ryan Strome (empty net) also scored.
Alexander Georgiev started the game in net but was injured at 17:41 of the first period. Igor Shesterkin came in and made two saves on two shots in 2:19 of relief. Georgiev returned to start the second period and finished the game 25 stops on 28 shots.
With the Islanders' win on Sunday, combined with Washington's 6-3 loss to Boston and Pittsburgh's 4-2 loss to Buffalo, the Islanders (60 points) overtook second place in the East Division from Pittsburgh (59 points). Washington still sits in first place with 62 points. Both the Islanders and Penguins have 11 games of the regular season left to play while Washington only has 10.
The Rangers are currently one spot out of a playoff spot with 52 points through 45 games. Boston currently occupies the fourth and final playoff spot in the division with 56 points, but has 13 games remaining compared to the Rangers' 11.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• The Islanders lineup faced some changes on the road trip and in Sunday's win as the team was without forwards Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck for the second-straight game. Bailey and Clutterbuck are both listed as day-to-day per Trotz, each with undisclosed injuries. Bailey did not return for the Islanders' third period in their 4-1 loss Boston on Thursday night, while Clutterbuck was hit along the boards during the final minutes of that game and never took a shift after the hit.
• Braydon Coburn made his Islanders debut replacing Noah Dobson in the lineup. In Coburn's Blue and Orange debut, the veteran skated alongside Andy Greene - who like Coburn, is a left shot and played on his off side to accommodate the newcomer. Coburn totaled 12:53 TOI, had one shot and had two blocks.
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• Leddy's game winner was his second goal of the season - both coming against Philadelphia - and his 26th point through 45 games.
• Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Jordan Eberle picked up assists on the OT winner.
• Sorokin made his 17th start of the season and his second-consecutive start after losing 3-0 to Boston on Friday night. The Russian rookie now has a record of 12-4-1, a 2.02 GAA and a .922 SV%. Since Feb. 1, Sorokin leads all netminders in the NHL with a 1.67 GAA through 14 games played in that stretch. In his last 14 starts, the 25-year-old is 12-2-0.
• With the sole goal of Sunday's stingy game, the Islanders improved their record to 19-1-2 when scoring first. They are 9-12-2 when allowing the opening goal.

RANGERS NOTES:

• With a goal and an assist, Zibanejad extended his point streak to six games where he has totaled nine points (3G, 6A) during that span. Through 45 games this season, Zibanejad has totaled 39 points (16G, 23A).
• Kreider scored his 19th goal of the season - tied with Pavel Buchnevich for the team lead in goals - and his second goal in as many games. The veteran forward leads his team in power-play goals this season with 10.
• Rookie winger - and 2018 first rounder (ninth overall) - Kravtsov scored his first NHL goal in the win and now has two-career points through nine games.
• Lafreniere, who the Rangers selected first overall at the 2020 NHL Draft, deposited his eighth goal of his rookie season. The left winger now has 14 points (8G, 6A) through 45 games.
• Strome's empty netter marked his 14th goal of the season for the former Islander-turned-Ranger. With a goal and an assist, the center extended his point streak to three games with seven points (2G, 5A) during that span. Through 45 games this season, Strome is second in scoring for the Rangers with 44 points (14G, 30A).
• While Artemi Panarin didn't light the lamp, the left winger still got on the scoresheet with two assists. In doing so, Panarin's point streak reached four games with 10 points (4G, 6A) totaled. The left winger is atop the Blueshirts leaderboard with 52 points (16G, 36A) through 34 games.
• Adam Fox posted an assist in the win and leads the NHL in helpers by defenseman with 36. Fox is tied for second in scoring among all blueliners - with Tampa's Victor Hedman - with 41 points (5G, 36A) through 45 games, behind only Washington defenseman John Carlson (42 points).
• Since March 13th, Panarin has totaled the most points in the NHL with 32, while Zibanejad and Fox aren't far behind with 28 points and 25 points, respectively, in that time frame.
• Georgiev received his first start since April 9. The Russian goaltender improved his record to 7-5-2 in the win, with a 2.79 GAA and a .902 SV%. Georgiev has been especially good vs the Isles, going 2-0-0 with an 0.50 GAA, a .982 SV% and a shutout.
• Shesterkin played the first three games against New Jersey - picking up three wins in the process and was perfect 2-for-2 on the two shots he faced in relief of Georgiev. Shesterkin has made 24 starts this season for the Rangers and earned a record of 13-9-3, 2.28 GAA and a .925 SV%.