The New York Islanders went into Tuesday night’s game against the New York Rangers coming off of a couple tough losses to swallow. Within nine days, the Islanders and Rangers faced off three times. During the first game, the Islanders struggled to keep up with the Rangers and lost 6-2. The Rangers then visited the Coliseum for the first time in five years for game two. Both teams were tied at two late in the third and then Derick Brassard took a cross-checking penalty late in the game, which opened the opportunity for the Rangers to score a power-play goal late in the third, resulting in a 3-2 regulation loss.
The Islanders entered Tuesday’s game on a three-game losing streak after they lost in a shootout to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. The Rangers lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Sunday, and both teams wished to start their 2020 All-Star break with a win.

During the first period, Josh Bailey tipped in Noah Dobson’s shot to give the Isles a 1-0 lead. Bailey scored his 11th goal of the season, Dobson tallied his 4th assist and Brassard added the secondary assist with his faceoff win, his 16th assist. Soon after, Anthony Beauvillier scored his 13th goal of the season. Both goals that were scored in the 1st were power-play goals.
During the second period, the Islanders did not get too comfortable with their 2-0 lead. They came out energetic and brightly coordinated their plays. Towards the middle of the period, Anders Lee deflected a shot to score his 16th of the season pushing the Isles ahead three goals. Thomas Greiss was able to save all 15 shots from the Rangers that period, while the Islanders only had five shots that period.

The second-period intermission did not kill the Islanders’ momentum. Brock Nelson scored in the third period to make it an Islanders 4-0 lead. That was Nelson’s 20th goal of the season, his fifth season out of seven in the NHL where he scored 20. He is also six goals shy of his career-high. Within the last few minutes of the period, the Rangers were awarded double minor on a Scott Mayfield spearing double minor and scored two goals to cut the lead to 4-2. That was also the final, and the Islanders snapped their three-game losing streak.

Mathew Barzal will be traveling to St. Louis this weekend to participate in the 2020 All-Star Game and All-Star Skills Competition, and the Islanders start off the post-All-Star schedule with a game on February 1st against the Vancouver Canucks at the Barclays Center.

John Smark