The New York Islanders fell 5-2 to the New York Rangers in a Sunday matinee matchup. The score might suggest the Rangers dominated, but the Islanders battled hard in a contest that could have swung in either direction. With the loss, the Islanders drop to 4-6-2, placing them second-to-last in the Metropolitan Division, while the Rangers advance to 8-2-1, leading the division with the top record.
The Islanders earned a power play early in the first period when Jacob Trouba held Anders Lee’s stick, but it was the Rangers who found the scoresheet when Mika Zibenejad connected with Chris Kreider on a beautiful give-and-go to put the Rangers ahead 1-0. Despite the Islanders controlling play in the first period, they could not find the back of the net.
93 + 20 putting in the work on the PK. pic.twitter.com/B7ljylCzQO
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 3, 2024
The 1-0 score did not last long into the second period, as a costly error by Islanders defenseman Samuel Bolduc led to a turnover. Reilly Smith capitalized, finding Vincent Trocheck in the slot to extend the Rangers’ lead to 2-0. Despite it being Trocheck’s first game of the season without Alexis Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin, the crisp execution on this play didn’t reflect any absence. This was Trocheck’s 200th career NHL goal. Bolduc did not see the ice after that, finishing the afternoon with just 5:56 of ice time.
After falling behind 2-0, Casey Cizikas capitalized on a rebound from Pierre Engvall’s shot in front of the net, narrowing the deficit to 2-1. However, a power-play goal from Artemi Panarin just past the midway point of the second period restored the Rangers’ two-goal lead. At risk of entering the third period down by two, the Islanders’ top-performing duo this season, Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson, connected at the doorstep to trim the Rangers’ lead to 3-2 with only eight seconds remaining in the period.
Related: 10 Islanders Thoughts Through 10 Games of 2024-25
The final frame was controlled by the Rangers, highlighted by Adam Edstrom’s first goal of the season at the 5:18 mark and Panarin’s second goal of the game, an empty netter, to seal the win in the final minutes. Rangers’ netminder, Igor Shesterkin, should not go unnoticed, as he had another impressive performance, stopping 35 of 37 shots and showcasing several impressive glove saves.
The Islanders next play on Tuesday (Nov. 5) against the Pittsburgh Penguins at UBS Arena. The Rangers have an extended rest, next suiting up on Thursday (Nov. 7) against the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden.
