UBS Keys to the Game: Islanders vs. Rangers

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (24-24-9) VS NEW YORK RANGERS (38-17-5)7:00 PM ET | MADISON SQUARE GARDEN WATCH: MSG+ | MSG GO | ESPN+LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM
The New York Islanders look to extend their point streak to five games (3-0-1) as they take on New York Rangers on St. Patrick's Day this Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Islanders were in a back-and-forth battle with the Washington Capitals and collected a point, but fell short in the eighth round of a shootout on Tuesday night by a 4-3 result. Anders Lee forced overtime with a late goal, while Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri also scored in regulation. Semyon Varlamov made 29 saves in 32 shots in the shootout loss.
The Rangers picked up their second-consecutive win as they completed the comeback to beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in overtime. Adam Fox (1G, 2A) scored the OT winner, while Johnny Brodzinski, Mika Zibanejad (1G, 1A) and Chris Kreider (power play) also scored. Artemi Panarin handed out three assists, while Alexandar Georgiev made 20 saves on 23 shots.
The Islanders and Rangers last met on Nov. 24 during UBS Arena's opening week. The Islanders were without seven regulars due to COVID-19 protocols and the Rangers won that meeting 4-1.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• Nelson scored his team-leading 24th goal of the season and dished out an assist. The centerman has five goals in his last six games and eight points (5G, 3A) in his last seven games. Through 48 games this season, Nelson has totaled 36 points (24G, 12A). He is two goals shy of matching his career-best (26 goals).
ISLES vs RANGERS
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ISLANDERS VIDEO
Trotz Pregame
Cizikas and Parise Pregame
GAME EXTRAS
Talkin' Isles
Isles Season Tickets
• Palmieri buried his 10th goal of the season and third goal in the last two games. The winger also extended his point streak to five games where he has picked up six points (3G, 3A) in that stretch.
• Lee scored his 22nd goal of the season and extended his goal streak to five games where he has tallied eight goals in that span. Lee is the first Islander to score goals in five-straight games since Derick Brassard did so October 24-November 2, 2019. Michael Grabner (2011) is the only Islander to score in six-straight games in the last 26 years.
• With an assist, Jean-Gabriel Pageau extended his point streak to five games. The centerman has compiled six points (1G, 5A).
• With a helper, Josh Bailey extended his point streak to four games where the winger has totaled seven points (3G, 4A) in that stretch.
• Varlamov made his 18th start of the season and with the shootout loss, his record is now 4-12-2. The Russian netminder has a 2.85 GAA and a .912 SV%.
• Matt Martin returned to the lineup and skated alongside Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck.
• The Islanders were 0-for-1 on the power play and were not shorthanded against the Caps. Their power play ranks 21st in the NHL at 19.3%, while their penalty kill ranks sixth-highest at 83.2%.
• The Islanders are 1-6 in shootouts this season.
• In the faceoff circle, the Islanders rank ninth with a FOW% of 51.4%.

RANGERS NOTES:

• Brodzinski tallied his first goal of the season with the game's icebreaker against the Ducks and now has two points (1G, 1A) through 11 games.
• Zibanejad posted a two-point outing in the win with his goal and assist. The Swedish centerman now has 24 goals and goals in two-straight games where he tallied three points (2G, 1A) in that span. Through 60 games this season, Zibanejad has produced 61 points (24G, 37A).
• Kreider scored his team-leading 39th goal of the season and 20th power-play goal. The 30-year-old winger snapped a three-game drought where he went without a point. Kreider's career-high season continues as he now has 54 points (39G, 15A) through 60 games.
• Fox scored his ninth goal of the season and second game-winner. The defenseman and reigning Norris Trophy winner extended his point streak to three games where he compiled six points (2G, 4A) in that span. Through 57 games this season, the Jericho, N.Y. native has registered 61 points (9G, 52A), which ranks the third highest among all NHL blueliners.
• With three assists, Panarin upped his team-leading point total to 71 points (16G, 55A) through 55 games. The Russian winger also extended his point streak to five-straight games where he's produced 12 points (1G, 11A) in that stretch.
• Georgiev made his 20th start of the season and improved his record to 8-9-2. The Russian netminder has a 3.14 GAA and a 8.92 SV%.
• Igor Shesterkin owns a 29-7-3 record and his .938 SV% ranks the highest in the NHL. The Russian goaltender is tied for the third-best GAA in the league at 2.07 and he's posted three shutouts this season.
• The comeback victory marked the 20th time this season that the Rangers have come from behind to collect the two points - which is tied with Columbus for the most in the NHL - and marked the seventh time the Rangers have executed a third-period comeback (tied for fifth-most in the league).
• The Rangers were 1-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill against Anaheim. In the NHL, the Rangers boast the second-highest power play at 26.8% and their penalty kill ranks ninth at 82.5%.
• The Rangers average the third-fewest goals against in the NHL at 2.58.
• On the injury front, the Rangers have three skaters on injured reserve. Most recently, Kappo Kakko (upper body) and Kevin Rooney (upper body) are both out, while Sammy Blais (lower body) has been sidelined since December after undergoing knee surgery.
• On Wednesday afternoon, the Rangers acquired forward Frank Vatrano from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Through 49 games with Florida this season, Vatrano totaled 19 points (10G, 9A).