The Rangers had this one in hand, then let it slip away.
In their second preseason game, New York jumped out to a 3-0 lead against the Islanders at home and still ended up on the wrong side of a 4-3 final. It was a much more NHL-looking lineup than the one that lost 3-2 to the Devils, and it also gave Rangers fans their first look at new faces Pavel Dorofeyev, Sean Durzi, Alberts Smits, and a few others.
The opening period had a different feel right away. The Rangers looked more organized and composed, even if there were still rough edges.
Their first power play came a little more than four minutes in after Kyle Palmieri was whistled for hooking, and the top unit featured Adam Fox, Alexis Lafrenière, Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, and Dorofeyev.
The group didn’t score, but Dorofeyev stood out with his shot and his willingness to let it go. The second unit included Durzi, Eeli Tolvanen, Gabe Perreault, Liam Greentree, and Oliver Bjorkstrand.
New York opened the scoring shortly after the Palmieri penalty expired, using a 6-on-5 advantage on a delayed call. Durzi controlled the point well, got a shot through, and Cole Beaudoin cleaned up the rebound to make it 1-0. Tolvanen picked up an assist on the play.
The Rangers spent more time in their own end later in the period, but they still looked to be in control. Smits, in particular, made an impression.
He played with edge, but not recklessly, and showed good gap control and an active stick while defending Bo Horvat off the rush. New York carried that 1-0 lead into the first intermission, even though the Islanders had a slight edge in shots, 8-5.
The second period was where the Rangers really stretched things out. About six minutes in, Bjorkstrand and Miller sparked a strong forecheck that forced a turnover. Bjorkstrand recovered the puck and found Dorofeyev in the slot, and Dorofeyev ripped a shot off the post and in for a 2-0 lead.
Barely a minute later, the fourth line helped create more offense. Braden Schneider moved the puck to Smits at the point, and Smits sent a shot-pass toward Taylor Raddysh, who redirected it in to make it 3-0.
The Islanders finally answered after Tolvanen took the Rangers’ first penalty for finishing a hit on Casey Cizikas along the boards. New York killed it off, with Igor Shesterkin making several strong stops, but the Islanders broke through soon after. Kyle MacLean got to a loose puck at the crease and banked it off Shesterkin’s mask and in to cut the lead to 3-1.
The physicality kept building. Liam Greentree and Scott Mayfield dropped the gloves after some pushing and shoving behind the play, and the whistles kept bringing more extras.
When Beaudoin was called for hooking, the Islanders’ power play made the Rangers pay. Matthew Schaefer buried a shot off the post and in to trim the lead to 3-2.
The Rangers killed off another penalty late in the period after Bjorkstrand was called for cross-checking, and they took a 3-2 lead into the second intermission. They were outshot 20-11 at that point.
Spencer Martin took over in goal to start the third, as planned, and the Rangers helped him settle in by finishing off the Bjorkstrand penalty. But just over two minutes into the period, Mika Zibanejad went off for tripping, and the Islanders tied it. Matias Maccelli scored on a strange bounce from the goal line, with the puck caroming off Durzi’s skate and through Martin’s legs.
Alexis Lafrenière had a chance to restore the lead soon after, but he couldn’t finish a breakaway. Then, with the game moving into more 4-on-4 play after Bjorkstrand and Bo Horvat exchanged blows, the Rangers took another costly penalty when Lafrenière was called for high-sticking. That opened the door for the Islanders’ go-ahead goal, as Maccelli converted on a Schaefer rebound to make it 4-3.
There was still more pushing and shoving, including Dylan Roobroeck and Kashawn Aitcheson going at it after a whistle, but the score didn’t change. The Rangers pulled Martin with under three minutes left and couldn’t get sustained possession or much of a push in the closing stretch.
The Islanders finished with a 28-17 edge in shots. The Rangers return Thursday night for preseason game three against the Devils.
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