Rangers Host Islanders in Battle of New York

After a very successful game in Detroit, the Blueshirts return home as they still seek their first win on home ice (7:00PM on MSG).

Rangers	Rankings	Islanders
7-6-2	Record	6-6-2
16th	League Rank	28th
31st	Goals For	13th
1st	Goals Against	27th
29th	Power play	27th
8th	Penalty Kill	17th

Rangers vs Islanders

On Friday night, the Blueshirts became the first team in NHL history to win seven games on the road before winning a game on home ice. The Rangers improved their road record to 7-1-1 while their home record sits at 0-5-1.
- Jonathan Quick was fantastic once again making 31 saves on 32 shots
  - Quick and the defense caught a big break after the veteran netminder misplayed the puck and Patrick Kane had a tap in. Quick and Carson Soucy made it difficult for the three-time Stanley Cup champion and he was unable to finish on the open goal
The Rangers will see their crosstown rivals for the first time this season. In the 2025 NHL Draft, the Islanders selected Matthew Schaefer first overall and the 18-year-old has already given them a huge lift on the back end
- Schaefer has eleven points in fourteen games and trails just Bo Horvat for the team lead in points who has 14
- The Ontario native currently has an even plus/minus and he averages over 22 minutes on ice a game
Expect the boo birds to be out in Madison Square Garden for former Rangers’ defender Tony DeAngelo. Since punching Alex Georgiev and having some choice words in later years about his former team, DeAngelo has villainized himself in Manhattan. DeAngelo will likely get booed every time he holds onto the puck on Saturday evening
A couple of new additions on Long Island are Jonathan Drouin and Emil Heineman. Drouin has seven points in 13 games while Heinemen has nine including six goals in fourteen games. Heinemen plays on a dangerous top line with Horvat and Mathew Barza
Igor Shesterkin will be back in goal after Quick played Friday night in Detroit. His good lfriend Ilya Sorokin will be across the way starting for the Islanders
Will Cuylle left Friday’s game and was unable to put weight on his leg after blocking a shot. Cuylle did later return to the game. If there was anything lingering and he was unable to go on Saturday, Adam Edstrom would likely return to the lineup unless there was a late call up from Hartford. Cuylle had a power-play goal after being used on the top unit for the first time
Artemi Panarin is coming off a three-point game after shaving his head prior to Friday night. The Russian winger is in the last year of his contract and he is looking to try anything to help get the Rangers offense on track