Rangers Finally Break Through vs. Islanders, But Defensive Woes Continue in 5-2 Loss
The Rangers finally got on the board against the Islanders this season-but that’s about the only silver lining from a frustrating night in Long Island. In the first leg of a back-to-back against their crosstown rivals, the Rangers dropped their third straight to the Isles, this time by a score of 5-2, in a game defined by penalties, missed assignments, and a lack of sustained offensive pressure.
Let’s break down what went wrong-and where the Rangers found a few glimmers of hope.
Panarin Sits, Martin Starts
Before puck drop, the headline was Artemi Panarin being a healthy scratch for roster management reasons ahead of the Olympic roster freeze. With Panarin out, Jonny Brodzinski re-entered the lineup, and Spencer Martin got the nod in net.
Here’s how the Rangers rolled out:
Forwards:
- Miller - Zibanejad - Perreault
- Cuylle - Trocheck - Lafrenière
- Othmann - Laba - Raddysh
- Brodzinski - Carrick - Rempe
Defensemen:
- Gavrikov - Schneider
- Robertson - Borgen
- Vaakanainen - Morrow
Goaltenders:
- Martin (starter)
- Quick (backup)
First Period: Islanders Strike First, Rangers Finally Respond
The opening ten minutes looked all too familiar for Rangers fans-slow start, no shots on goal, and the Islanders dictating pace. Spencer Martin was solid early, keeping the Rangers in it with some timely saves. But the penalty trouble started midway through the period, and from there, things unraveled.
Alexis Lafrenière was the first to head to the box for slashing, and although the Islanders’ power play was quickly negated by a Bo Horvat interference call, the penalties didn’t stop there. Vincent Trocheck was flagged for slashing to create a brief 4-on-3, and it didn’t take long for the Isles to capitalize once they got back to a standard power play.
Ondrej Palat, making his Islanders debut, found himself wide open in the slot and buried a one-timer off a feed from Simon Holmstrom to open the scoring. Just over a minute later, Holmstrom got one of his own, redirecting a point shot past Martin to make it 2-0.
To their credit, the Rangers didn’t fold. With Jonathan Drouin in the box for high sticking, the Blueshirts finally broke their Islanders shutout streak.
J.T. Miller showed great patience on the man advantage, threading a pass to Mika Zibanejad, who hammered home a one-timer to bring the Rangers within one.
It was a much-needed goal-not just for the scoreboard, but for morale.
Despite being outshot 14-6, the Rangers escaped the first period down only 2-1.
Second Period: Penalties Pile Up, Islanders Take Control
The Rangers opened the second with a bit more jump, controlling play early. But that momentum was quickly erased by a disastrous shift from the fourth line.
Sam Carrick took back-to-back penalties-first for tripping, then for cross-checking-before Matt Rempe added a boarding call for good measure. That’s three penalties on one shift, handing the Islanders a lengthy 5-on-3 followed by extended 5-on-4 time.
The Rangers managed to kill off the 5-on-3, but the Islanders eventually cashed in. With crisp puck movement, they found Mathew Barzal wide open at the bottom of the circle, and he didn’t miss, ripping a one-timer to push the lead to 3-1.
Defensive breakdowns continued to haunt the Rangers. Just minutes later, Jean-Gabriel Pageau capitalized on a loose puck in front of the net after a missed assignment, making it 4-1.
Taylor Raddysh briefly gave the Rangers life, jumping on a turnover and beating David Rittich to cut the deficit to 4-2. The play was sparked by a strong forecheck from Noah Laba, a small but encouraging moment for the Rangers’ younger players.
But the Islanders weren’t done. With under a minute left in the period, Adam Pelech found Emil Heineman alone in the slot-again, no Ranger in sight-and Heineman buried the one-timer to make it 5-2.
Through two periods, the Islanders held a commanding 28-13 edge in shots and had scored three of their five goals from prime real estate in front of the net. The Rangers’ defensive zone coverage was simply not good enough.
Third Period: No Answers, No Momentum
If the Rangers were going to mount a comeback, they needed a strong start to the third. Instead, they were largely invisible for the first half of the period, managing just two shots on goal in the final 20 minutes.
They did get one power play opportunity when Bo Horvat was called for tripping Lafrenière along the boards, but the man advantage failed to generate much beyond a single shot.
That was the story of the third: low energy, little pushback, and no real threat of a comeback. The Islanders locked things down, and the Rangers couldn’t find a spark. Final shots: 35-15 in favor of the Isles.
Takeaways
- Discipline Issues: The Rangers handed the Islanders far too many opportunities with undisciplined penalties-especially that disastrous sequence in the second period. You simply can’t give a team like the Islanders that much time on the power play and expect to survive.
- Defensive Lapses: Three of the five goals came with Islanders players left completely unmarked in high-danger areas. That’s a breakdown in coverage and communication that has to be addressed immediately.
- Lack of Offensive Pressure: 15 shots on goal across three periods is not going to cut it, especially in a rivalry game. Even with Panarin out, the Rangers have enough firepower to generate more than that.
- Bright Spots: Spencer Martin was solid early and didn’t get much help from the defense. Taylor Raddysh and Noah Laba showed flashes of energy and hustle. And Zibanejad breaking the Islanders’ shutout streak was a small but important step.
What’s Next?
The good news for the Rangers? They don’t have to wait long for a shot at redemption.
The Isles come to Madison Square Garden tomorrow night for the second half of this back-to-back. Expect lineup adjustments, a fired-up home crowd, and hopefully, a more disciplined and focused effort from a Rangers team that knows it let one get away.
The rivalry is alive and well. Now it’s up to the Rangers to respond.