Game Preview: Islanders at Rangers

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (29-22-15) AT NEW YORK RANGERS (44-19-4)

1 PM | MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

WATCH: TNT | MAX

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM

The New York Islanders are looking to snap a three-game winless stretch on Sunday afternoon when they take on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

The Isles are 0-2-1 in their last three games, most recently falling 4-3 in OT to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon at UBS Arena. Bo Horvat forced overtime – and secured a point for the Isles – with 38 seconds to play in the third period, but Brady Tkachuk completed a hat-trick with a power-play goal in the final minute of OT.

The Rangers are also playing on the second half of a back-to-back set, after a 7-4 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Artemi Panarin recorded a five-point game (2G, 3A) in the win.

With Saturday’s loss, the Isles (73 points) fell out of the second wild card, as they were leapfrogged by the Detroit Red Wings (74 points). The Red Wings beat the Buffalo Sabres (69 points) to snap a seven-game losing streak. The Isles trail the Tampa Bay Lightning (78 points) by five points after the Bolts beat the Florida Panthers 5-3. The Islanders have one game in hand on Tampa. The Isles trail the Philadelphia Flyers (76 points) by three points after Philly's 6-5 loss to Boston, but hold two games in hand.

The Islanders and Rangers are meeting for the second time this season after the Isles fell 6-5 in OT to the Rangers during the NHL Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 18. The Isles led that game 5-3 with five minutes remaining in the third period, but the Rangers rallied with two power-play goals to force OT. The Rangers scored three power-play goals at the Stadium Series.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

- After being shut out in consecutive games, the Islanders ended their goal drought at 126:15 with a Matt Martin wraparound goal. The goal was Martin’s first since Jan. 6 – and the first wraparound goal of his career. Martin now has three points (1G, 2A) in his last four games.

- Ilya Sorokin will start in goal on Sunday afternoon. Sorokin is 3-2-1 lifetime against the Rangers with a 3.00 GAA, a .915 SV% and a shutout. Sorokin is looking to snap a two-game losing streak, but had won five-straight starts prior.

- The Islanders are 0-4-3 on the back half of back-to-backs this season.

- The Islanders are making their first visit to MSG since a 5-3 loss on Dec. 22, 2022. Prior to the loss, the Isles had won five straight at MSG. The Islanders are 8-4-0 in their last 12 trips to MSG.

- Bo Horvat scored his 27^th goal of the season on Saturday, hitting the 27-goal mark for the fourth time in the last four full seasons (2018-19, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24).

- Mathew Barzal has 34 points (10G, 24A) in 28 games against the Rangers, the most goals and points he’s recorded against any team in the NHL. Barzal has points in seven-straight games against the Blueshirts.

- Casey Cizikas will play in his 800^th NHL game on Sunday afternoon – all with the Isles. Cizikas will be the ninth player in team history to play 800 games with the club.

RANGERS NOTES:

- Igor Shesterkin is expected to start against the Islanders after Jonathan Quick got the start against the Penguins on Saturday. Shesterkin is 28-14-2 with a 2.60 GAA, a .912 SV% and three shutouts. Shesterkin is 3-7-1 lifetime against the Islanders with a 3.32 GAA and an .880 SV%.

- Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers with 93 points (38G, 55A) in 67 games. Panarin’s 93 points rank fifth overall in the NHL. Panarin had three points (1G, 2A) in the team’s first meeting this season. Panarin has 22 points (7G, 15A) in 19 games against the Islanders since joining the Rangers.

- Chris Kreider had a three-point game against the Penguins (1G, 2A) and has eight points (3G, 5A) during a six-game point streak.

- The Rangers acquired Jack Roslovic from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2026 Draft. Roslovic recorded 23 points (6G, 17A) in 40 games with Columbus and has two points (1G, 1A) in his first five games with the Rangers.

- The Rangers also acquired defenseman Chad Ruhwedel from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 Draft. Ruhwedel has yet to make his Rangers debut.

- Prior to the deadline, the Rangers acquired Alex Wennberg from the Seattle Kraken for a 2024 second rounder and a conditional fourth rounder in 2025.

- Matt Rempe will miss Sunday’s game as the center serves the fourth and final game of a suspension for elbowing New Jersey’s Jonas Siegenthaler.