Takeaways: Islanders Sweep Season Series Over Rangers With 2-1 Win

The New York Islanders took all eight points from the New York Rangers this season, sweeping the season series with a 2-1 win on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

Carson Soucy scored his first goal as an Islander in his second game since being acquired by the Rangers and Matthew Schaefer scored his fourth game-winner, which leads all NHL rookies, in the win. Ilya Sorokin made 20 saves in his 18^th win of the season.

“This team found a way to win,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said. “I thought we played well enough defensively to stay in the game and score those two late goals in the second period. Ilya was good again, in moments where they had good chances.”

The Islanders swept the season series over the Rangers for the third time in franchise history – the last came in 2017-18 – but this marked the first time in the Islanders had won all four games in regulation. The Islanders outscored the Rangers 14-3 over the four games and never trailed against their crosstown rivals. Schaefer, who said after he was drafted that he wants to help the Islanders beat the Rangers every time they play them, wants to keep it rolling.

“Like I said before, we want to beat them every time,” Schaefer said. “I know it makes us happy, it makes our fans happy and we get two points out of it.”

- It was a low-event hockey game through the first half of the contest, both teams battling on short rest after the Isles beat the Rangers 5-2 the night before at UBS Arena. It was an uncharacteristic game for the rivals, where the first three games in the series saw a lot of goals – the Islanders won 5-0, 2-0 and 5-2 this season – but it took 37:18 for the game’s first goal in the season series finale.

- Soucy was an unlikely pick to break the ice and the icebreaker was an unlikely goal. After Roy implored his team to shoot more between periods, the defenseman threw a sharp-angled shot towards the net that snuck through Jonathan Quick. Along with a goal, Soucy finished the game with three shot attempts (two on goal, one missed) in 14:39 TOI on a pair with Scott Mayfield.

“We had a message in the second period, get more pucks to the net, just start creating more shots whether it’s rebounds or shots,” Soucy said. “I got a fortunate bounce and it went in.”

- As for the aspect of playing his former team – twice in his first two games as an Islander – Soucy said he didn’t focus it too much and put all his energy into helping the team win.

“It’s definitely weird at first,” Soucy said. “But once the game gets going, it’s just hockey. I just want to help this team win, doesn’t matter who it’s against.”

- The Islanders doubled their lead 1:35 later, as Schaefer broke through with a long and sharp wrister that beat Quick cleanly with 1:07 to go in the middle frame.

“He kind of showed me up there after I got mine,” Soucy said with a laugh.

- Schaefer made history again, as his 14^th goal of the season passed Bobby Orr for the second-most goals by an 18-year-old defenseman, three shy of tying Phil Housley, who scored 17 goals in 1982-83.

“All those names, it’s crazy,” Schaefer said. “They’ll go down as some of the best defensemen to ever play. You don’t think about it much, but when those names pop up, it’s an honor to be among those guys. To see what they’ve done.”

- Simon Holmstrom made an impact without hitting the scoresheet, as he set a screen on Schaefer’s goal to take a 2-0 lead, garnering praise from Roy after the win.

- Sorokin was sharp when he needed to be, as Braden Schneider corralled a puck that missed wide and fired a shot at Sorokin, but he quickly moved to his left and made the save to preserve the 2-0 lead.

- Ondrej Palat had a prime chance that Quick stopped in the third period, while Roy was comfortable leaving him out to play late third period minutes with a 2-1 game.

- Casey Cizikas missed the game with an illness, so Max Shabanov drew back into the lineup after he was a healthy scratch on Wednesday night. Shabanov skated 7:39 TOI on a line with Kyle MacLean and Marc Gatcomb.

NEXT GAME

The Islanders host the Nashville Predators on Saturday at UBS Arena. Puck drop is set for 7PM.