Alexis Lafrenière turned a rivalry night into his own showcase, and the Rangers kept their early-season roll going with a 5-2 win over the Islanders on Tuesday at home.
New York came in riding a three-game winning streak, and the club also handed Cole Beaudoin his NHL debut with Joe Veleno out injured. Beaudoin got the call after a strong start in Hartford, where he posted five points - one goal and four assists - in just two games with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The Rangers set the tone early with a faster, more aggressive forecheck, and the Islanders had trouble finding any breathing room. That pressure produced the first goal midway through the opening period, when Lafrenière hounded Matthew Schaefer behind the net, forced a turnover, and created the chance that Oliver Bjorkstrand buried for his first goal as a Ranger.
Semyon Varlamov was in net for New York’s rival, but it was his first regular-season appearance in 676 days, with his previous start coming on November 29 of last year. The Rangers made sure he was tested right away, and they kept their first-period run intact by not allowing the opening goal for the fifth straight game. Through five games, they have outscored opponents 5-0 in the first period, a stretch Mike Sullivan is clearly pleased with.
“They’re just coming out with great energy. I think they’re buying in.
They’re having fun. They’re competing hard, and they’re having success.
It’s fun to watch them. I think…”
Lafrenière struck again to open the second period, this time finishing a Mika Zibanejad feed with a wrist shot from the left circle that beat Varlamov cleanly. For a moment, it looked like the Rangers might pull away.
Instead, an offensive-zone penalty by Eeli Tolvanen changed the feel of the game. The Islanders cashed in on the power play, with Bo Horvat scoring from the left circle for his second goal of the season. Soon after, Cal Ritchie tied it and turned the matchup into a much tighter battle.
The Rangers answered late in the second after Brayden Schenn was called for holding, and their power play went right back to work. Bjorkstrand scored again, finishing a sharp pass from Gabe Perreault, who continues to stand out on the Rangers’ second unit. Perreault has become the leader and quarterback of that group, which has been unexpectedly dangerous.
The third period turned into a grind, with the Islanders pushing to level the score and the play getting heavy along the boards and in the corners. The style brought back echoes of the 2010 “Black and Blueshirts,” and this Rangers team is starting to reflect its coach. Sullivan’s imprint is obvious: fast, relentless, physical, and committed to the hard stuff.
Lafrenière put the finishing touches on the night with two empty-net goals after Varlamov was pulled, completing the hat trick and pushing his total to four points in the game. The hats hit the ice, the Rangers finished off their fourth straight win, and they moved to four victories in their first five games after a stretch that had them playing five times in eight nights.
The results are piling up, and so is the identity. This is a team building around work, structure, and wins.
In Other News...
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Cuylles play is also pushing the Rangers toward an uncomfortable but familiar kind of conversation for a contender with cap constraints. The team already has multiple key players in line for new deals, and Cuylle is expected to be part of that future on a contract that could run as long as seven years. With other young pieces due for major extensions too, the front office may soon have to decide just how much of its next core it can keep together. [Read more 🡒]
Eeli Tolvanen Is Becoming Too Important For Rangers To Ignore
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Tolvanen is leading the team with three goals, but the bigger story may be how much trust he has earned from coach Mike Sullivan in the less glamorous parts of the job. Sullivan has praised his defensive play and hockey IQ, and Tolvanen is already being used in critical late-game moments, including 6-on-5 defensive situations, the kind of assignment that says plenty about how the Rangers view him right now. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Just Opened A Real Door For A Top Young Forward
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Beaudoin, who was sent down after training camp, got the call and stepped into the lineup for his NHL debut against the Islanders. For the Rangers, it is the sort of injury-driven opportunity that can change the look of a depth chart quickly, and for Beaudoin it is a chance to show he can carry his Hartford form to the next level. [Read more 🡒]