Rangers Vs. Islanders: Rangers Drop Shootout To Isles, Lose 4-3
The New York Rangers dropped their second straight game, to the New York Islanders. The game had to be decided in the shootout, where the Islanders capitalized on their chances. Marty Biron was also credited with his second straight loss, after starting the season 10-2-0.
The Rangers came out very, very sloppy in the game, and it possibly cost them the extra point tonight. Matt Moulson came away with his 26th goal of the season, to put the Islanders up 1-0 just six minutes into the game. Just about two minutes, the Islanders widened their lead to 2-0, with a goal coming from P.A. Parenteau.
This goal is definitely one that Martin Biron would like back, as the shot came from just over the top of the face-off circle. Still, with that goal the Islanders took early control of this one. However, the Rangers would fight back into it, and get a power play goal from Marc Staal to pull within a single goal.
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The Rangers definitely picked up their play in the second period, but a weird penalty would erase that. Brian Boyle would get hit in the corner, which sent his stick flying across the ice. Del Zotto tried to help out, and slid the stick back over the Boyle with his, and was called for throwing the stick.
Considering the exchange with the stick didn't even occur near the play, it kind of surprised me. But with that, the Islanders would head to another power play, and would eventually capitalize. P.A. Parenteau came away with his second goal of the evening, as he picked up the loose puck in front of Biron. It seemed as if all the life had been sucked out of the Rangers, but they found a way.
Artem Anisimov made a great outlet pass off of the board to spring Marian Gaborik on a breakaway. Gaborik made a nifty move and slipped it over the glove of Nabokov on the backhand. Just five minutes later, the Rangers would tie the game with a fluky goal coming from Derek Stepan. Stepan threw the puck on net, which gave Nabokov trouble, and he fumbled with it. The puck eventually banked off of Travis Hamonic in front of the net, and it would tie the game for the Rangers.
The third period was filled with action coming from both teams. After killing off a crucial power play, the Rangers were handed a power play of their own with just under three minutes to play. They had some great movement, but were unable to get the go-ahead goal. This game would need to be decided in overtime.
With just under two minutes remaining in overtime, Milan Jurcina made a dangerous play that sent John Mitchell face first into the boards. To everyone's surprise, he only received a two minute penalty for the play, and the Rangers went back to the power play. That power play would be short lived as Derek Stepan would take a penalty, which I thought was pretty weak.
Derek Stepan made an attempt to lift the stick of Travis Hamonic, but it resulting in him falling. Hamonic definitely sold the penalty, and we would finish out overtime 3-on-3. The game would go to a shootout, were both Marian Gaborik and Frans Neilsen lead off with goals.
After two more rounds of misses, Matt Moulson finally gave the Islanders a lead in the shootout, and it all came down the John Mitchell. Mitchell would wind up putting it right into the chest of Nabakov, and the Rangers dropped the game 4-3 to the Islanders. The Rangers will be in action tomorrow night against the Buffalo Sabres, their final game before the NHL Trade Deadline. Hopefully they can turn it around.