Islanders 4 (EN), Rangers 2: Isles grab early lead, hang on for two cardiac points
Sorry for your loss. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
The Isles got off to a great start, then tried to give it back, but Semyon Varlamov wouldn’t let them. The New York Islanders beat the Rangers for their fifth win in a row to continue their surprising final-month rally and stay in third place in the Metro, keeping their playoff hopes within their theoretical control.
With ample redpants-lovers in the house, it was a boisterous atmosphere with competing chants at times. But the Isles rode that energy to make the game’s first statements, opening a 3-0 lead before giving two back in a scary second period.
Things began almost exactly as the Isle would’ve dreamed coming in, but alas, it turns out hockey has a little-known rule that requires you play two and even three periods.
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First Period: At least we have a chance...
Even with an unsuccessful penalty shot in the opening minutes by Mat Barzal (he was hooked by Adam Fox on a breakaway and crashed into Igor Shesterkin), the first period was a dream. They came out strong, recovered from that potential bad-omen penalty shot outcome, and Mike Reilly had them on the board with a seeing-eye drifter just a few minutes later.
GET IT GOING pic.twitter.com/7xnmdxU1VR— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 9, 2024
They continued to push the pace, and Bo Horvat made it 2-0 at 11:42, on a deflection after some good work by the top line. (Pay no mind to the caption; Casey Cizikas was in front of the net too.)
CIZIKAS! pic.twitter.com/SOxXm4VBVJ— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 9, 2024
Just under two minutes later, it was 3-0 after Noah Dobson shimmied down the boards and fed Brock Nelson in the slot, with Kyle Palmieri scooping the rebound home. It was Dobson’s 60th assist — and he’s the first Isles defenseman to reach that since Denis Potvin, who did it four times.
pic.twitter.com/5LBLfYJ3tg— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 9, 2024
It wasn’t absolute domination in the first, and the Rangers had chances to get on the board, but you felt like if the Isles could get to the intermission with a 3-0 lead then you’d like their chances.
Second Period: Yep, here we go...
Of course, 40 minutes is a lot of hockey, and 20 minutes is too. After the Rangers took the only penalty of the first period, the Isles took the only three called in the second. Frustratingly, the visitors scored on two of them.
Chris Kreider got them on the board on a one-timer at 7:47, then the Isles survived a Robert Bortuzzo penalty. But with Dobson in the box, Bortuzzo featured in the second goal by screening Semyon Varlamov something fierce. There was a lot of traffic, but Bortuzzo made it worse by shifting into Varlamov’s line while vacating the lane the puck took.
That made it 3-2 with five minutes to go in the period, which thankfully featured no more calls and no more bleeding.
Third Period: Hanging on...
The third period was absurd. The Rangers had eight of the first nine shots, before the board changed and they were credited with 12 shots to the Isles zero. The Isles had a hard time getting out of their zone, and anytime they did it was a one-and-done dump or icing to start the pressure all over again.
After the midway point, the Isles finally got a little bit of time outside their zone between Smurfs rushes, though no shots on goal. A breather came when Barclay Goodrow took a penalty at 12:26, a foolish slash that broke his stick on Matt Martin.
Barzal finally registered the first shot, from the high slot after gaining the zone. Bo Horvat made a nice play to turn a handcuffed one-timer pass from J-G Pageau into a return pass to #44. Pageau didn’t get everything on it though, and Shesterkin was awake for the save.
After the power play expired, things eased on into the hang-on-tight time, with the Rangers pulling for a sixth attacker with over two minutes left. The puck largely stayed in the Isles zone, outside of a couple timely clears, and Varlamov made a couple strong saves, but mostly it was perimeter theater as the crowd transitioned to a De-Fense chant.
With 10 seconds left, Dobson crunched Vincent Trocheck — such a clean, innocent player, he — from behind for what would’ve been called boarding at other times, but was let go in the mad scramble. Then the Isles actually made a sequence of poised, skilled plays to finish the game: Pierre Engvall high in the zone, over to Pageau as he exited the blueline, then over to Anders Lee for the rare empty net goal.
The game was over. The visiting redpants fans were sent home with sorrow. And the Isles had another big two points in their unlikely comeback for a playoff bid.
Up Next
Four more games to go. The Canadiens — who absolutely torched the Flyers tonight in Montreal — visit on Thursday, then there’s Saturday’s matinee rematch with the Smurfs at their home. That’s followed next week by a game with the Devils and a finale against the Penguins at Belmont....
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