Takeaways: Isles Comeback Bid Falls Short in 5-2 Loss to Rangers

Bo Horvat and Cal Ritchie each scored, but Oliver Bjorkstrand’s two goals and Alexis Lafrenière’s hat trick lifted the New York Rangers to a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 19 saves on 22 shots in his first game in 676 days and allowed the Islanders to stay within a goal until the final minutes. Igor Shesterkin stopped 17-of-19 in the win.

Brayden Schenn had a pair of assists and mixed it up in a fight with JT Miller, the second time they’ve tussled over the last three seasons.

The Rangers held a 2-0 lead through the early stages of the second period as Bjorkstrand’s first period tally was followed by Lafrenière’s goal 25 seconds into the second stanza.

The Islanders scored twice in 1:56 as Horvat netted his second power-play goal in as many games, and Ritchie recorded his first of the season to make it 2-2 less than five minutes into the second period.

Bjorkstrand’s second of the game made it 3-2 with 2:53 to play in the second period and the Isles – who outchanced the Rangers 17-9 in 5-on-5 situations through two periods according to Natural Stat Trick – were unable to complete the comeback.

Lafrenière capped his hat trick with two empty net goals in the final 1:38.

The Isles are now 1-2-0 on the season.

Varlamov Returns 

As Varlamov skated onto the ice during warmups and stood for the anthem, he felt the emotions swell within him. The trials and tribulations of the last 676 days worked their way outward as he took in the moment he worked tirelessly for.

Varlamov – who’s tended the cage over 620 times in his 18-year NHL career – knew Tuesday was different. While he didn’t get the result he desired, he got through the game without injury worries and made a number of key stops that allowed the Islanders to stay within a goal throughout the majority of the third period.

“It was awesome,” Varlamov said. "Had a great experience today playing the game again at [the] NHL level, regular season. I was having a lot of fun out there. A little bit emotional in the beginning, especially during the warm-up. Great building to play, great atmosphere. One of the best buildings in the world. When you play here, you always want to give your best and I was just trying to stay focused, not to get too emotional about the game and stuff. And then just unfortunately, we didn't get the result today. But the whole experience was awesome."

One of those critical stops came late in the game as a puck bounced off the end wall and back into the blue paint before Varlamov sprawled backward to recover and make the save.

Varlamov admitted that it took him time to adjust after missing nearly two years of game action, and he waged the internal battle on the uncertainty of what his first regular season game back could bring.

The first shot he saw was a surprising Bjorkstrand slapper, which beat him high short side, but he said he was able to refocus and settle in quickly.

DeBoer said Tuesday was a step in the right direction for Varlamov who will be called upon throughout the season. With Game 1 behind him to calm the nerves and film to analyze, DeBoer knows he’ll be able to go to Varlamov whenever needed.

“Considering the circumstances, I thought he was a warrior for us in there today,” DeBoer said. “I give him full marks for what he's gone through to come back, and this is the first step for him in a long season where he's going to play a lot of games for us.”

Ritchie, Eklund, Schenn Provide a Spark for Isles

Ritchie found himself with the puck all alone in front of Shesterkin after a feed from Schenn and waited him out before sliding the puck past his left pad to tie the game at 2-2.

It was a highlight for what DeBoer called the Isles top trio Tuesday night as Ritchie, Schenn and Victor Eklund continued their strong start to the season.

They played 9:01 on the ice together 5-on-5 and had a team-high six scoring chances along with two high danger chances. Ritchie had a grade A opportunity all alone in the slot but was turned away by Shesterkin.

While that was part of an unlucky night for the Isles who hit three posts – including two from Matthew Schaefer – the Isles have found something with Ritchie and Eklund, who have played a combined 79 games alongside Schenn who’s logged over 1,100 contests.

DeBoer said Schenn brings leadership to that line and the entire group and it's a relationship that Ritchie is looking forward to developing.

“We just got some good chemistry,” Ritchie said. “I think Eky's [Eklund] so good and hard on pucks, same with Schenner and we're reading off of each other, always talking in between shifts, trying to learn off of each other, where each other are going to be on the ice and stuff. It's been a really good fit so far, I thought, and hopefully something we can build up.”

Romanov Exits Early

Defenseman Alexander Romanov left the game with just over 12 minutes remaining in the third period and did not return. DeBoer said he was still being assessed.

Simon Holmström was hit in the face by a puck with 1:16 remaining in the first period and immediately went to the locker room.

However, he returned to the bench for the start of the second period and was back on the ice for the remainder of the game.

Next Game

The Islanders return home to host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. Get tickets here.