The Rangers came out flying against the Islanders on Tuesday night, and for a while it looked like they might run away with it. Instead, the game turned on one thing they couldn’t control: the power play.
New York jumped to a 3-0 lead and did it with a little bit of everything. Cole Beaudoin opened the scoring with his first goal of the preseason, a promising sign for the center prospect who came over in the Vincent Trocheck deal.
Pavel Dorofeyev followed with a shot that beat the goalie, giving the Rangers another encouraging look from a major summer addition. Then Alberts Smits set up Taylor Raddysh with a clean pass, and Raddysh finished it off to make it 3-0.
At that point, the Rangers were in full control. The game had already taken on a competitive edge, with a few fights and altercations adding some bite, but New York still had the better of the play early.
Then the penalties piled up.
Once the Islanders started getting power-play chances, the momentum flipped fast. New York gave up three power play goals, and that was the difference in the night. Several of the penalties were the kind that can be cleaned up, which makes the takeaway even clearer: staying out of the box has to be a priority.
Spencer Martin took the brunt of it, allowing two of those three power-play goals after coming in to start the third period. Igor Shesterkin, meanwhile, looked sharp and flashed the glove several times before giving way.
With two preseason games left and a few more days of camp still to work with, Mike Sullivan has a very obvious problem area to target. The Rangers showed they can start fast, but Tuesday was another reminder that giving up three power-play goals is a quick way to lose a game.
In Other News...
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UBS Arena is getting another round of concession stand experimentation, and this one is aimed squarely at the fans who like their game-night food with a little surprise. During the 2026-27 NHL season, the Islanders and Delaware North plan to roll out a new sandwich that mixes familiar arena staples with a candy-shop twist, part of the ongoing push to make the building a destination well beyond the ice.
Also coming to the menu is a different kind of mashup built around a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich, pulled pork and grape jelly barbecue sauce. Between the two items, the Islanders are leaning into the kind of over-the-top food identity that gets people talking in the concourse before they ever get to their seats, and maybe even keeps them talking long after the final horn. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Camp Could Reshape Roles Faster Than Veterans Want
Training camp has opened with Peter DeBoer running the show for the first time, and the early tone is clear: the Islanders are treating these days as much more than a tune-up. The staff is leaning hard into younger players, using the camp sessions to sort out who can handle a real NHL role while the veterans are being watched closely in the process.
There is already a layer of urgency because the group needs to absorb DeBoers system quickly and stay healthy while doing it. For a roster that could be reshaped faster than some veterans would like, the coming practices and preseason games are likely to carry real weight as the coaching staff sorts through the decisions still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Matias Maccelli Just Made The Islanders Top-Six Battle More Interesting
Matias Maccelli gave the Islanders a lot to think about in a 4-3 preseason win over the Rangers, turning in one of the nights most noticeable performances. He was involved offensively at five-on-five and also chipped in on the power play, which is still a work in progress as the team continues shaping its special teams before opening night.
For a player trying to carve out a place in a crowded forward group, that kind of showing matters. Maccelli said it was a good start but also made clear it is still early and nothing is settled yet, even as the push for a top-six role begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]