Islanders vs Rangers. One of the NHL’s most heated and storied rivalries is about to take a step further, as the two teams will face off eight times in the upcoming 2020-2021 NHL season. Both teams are coming in hot to next season with the Isles fresh off of an Eastern Conference Finals run and the Rangers drafting Alexis Lafreniere 1st overall. The first matchup is on January 14th, 2021, and will be played at Madison Square Garden. So with this large amount of games, the big question is, who will win the season series?

Last Season

The Rangers were on a hot streak before shutdown last season, whereas the Islanders were stumbling down the stretch. February was a great month for the rangers as they shot up the standings and finished just outside of a playoff spot. The Isles lost seven straight games before the break.

The season series went to the Rangers, as they won three out of the four matchups between the clubs. This included a blowout at home, an overtime win, and a last-second victory. The lone Islander win came on January 21, 2020, as they took it 4-2. It was filled with fights, lots of penalties, and tons of goals back and forth.

In the NHL bubble for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, both New York teams faced-off in an exhibition game to return to play on July 29 last summer. The Islanders won that game 2-1 and that showed what was to follow in the bubble. Going on to defeat the Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers and ultimately losing in the Eastern Conference Final was the Islanders fate. The Rangers got swept in the best-of-five qualifier round to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Isles obviously did better in the bubble, but the Rangers ended up with the first overall pick.

The Offseason

Even though the Islanders had the better season, the Rangers had the better offseason. Adding a potential star in Alexis Lafreniere alone is a huge plus. They also had another first-round pick. They also re-signed Tony DeAngelo, Ryan Strome, Brendan Lemieux, and Alexander Georgiev. Depth free agents were also signed, including Jack Johnson and Keith Kinkaid.

Lou Lamoriello’s Islanders have been in an interesting situation this offseason. Very few moves have been made as they are in a cap crunch. There are deals verbally agreed upon but waiting to be signed due to the burden of Mat Barzal still remaining unsigned. The Isles traded Devon Toews to the Colorado Avalanche to save money and recoup lost draft picks from the Pageau trade in February. This was after the 2020 draft and these picks are for the next two seasons. The Isles did not pick until the third round in this past draft. Johnny Boychuk also retired due to an eye injury saving the Isles some cap space by removing his contract.

Russian Goalies

Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin competing eight times this season will be a thrill to watch. Shesterkin made his NHL debut on January 7th, 2020 in a win over the Colorado Avalanche. He then led the Rangers to a 10-2 record last season with him in goal. A hot streak like that is something to build off of for next season. Ilya Sorokin has finally come to North America and joined the Islanders in the Toronto bubble. He was unable to play in any games but was able to practice with the team and improve his English skills. He signed an ELC and is now on a one-year, $2 million deal. He is expected to be one of the NHL’s top stars in net and has high expectations among Islander fans waiting to see his debut. Sorokin should be replacing Thomas Griess and joining Semyon Varlamov on the Isles goalie tandem.

13 vs 13

Mathew Barzal and Alexis Lafreniere are both poised to have fantastic seasons. Barzal still remains un-signed though, but both parties are working hard to get a deal done. Lafreniere is going to be one of the top candidates for the Calder Trophy, the award that goes to the NHL’s best rookie, which was also won by Barzal during the 2017-18 season. Barzal was on pace to improve his stats from 18-19 to 19-20 until the coronavirus shutdown stopped him. 17 points in 22 playoff games was a great way for him to finish last season. Lafreniere recorded massive point totals in his last 2 seasons with Rimouski in the QMJHL. In 2018-19, he finished with 105 points and had 112 last season. It will be a sight to see both number 13’s face-off this season.

Who wins the Season Series?

After many years of the Islanders struggling, then soon winning most games against the Rangers in recent years, this rivalry has been ignited more than it ever has before. Both of these teams are so evenly matched it is hard to predict the winner of the season series. The Islanders have the better defense, and the Rangers have more firepower on offense, whereas both teams are solid between the pipes. With that being said, the season series will be a tie due to it being so unpredictable. Fans cant wait to see how it plays out. The first matchup is less than a month away, upcoming on January 14th.

John Smark