Recap: Rangers Fall 2–0 to Islanders, Shutout for Eighth Time This Season

The New York Rangers hopped on a short bus ride across town following the holiday break and took on the New York Islanders. This was the second installment in the Battle of New York, with the Islanders getting the better of the Rangers in their first matchup. Going into the game, both teams were only separated by two points, with the Islanders ahead. The lineup was the same as the Blueshirts' victory against the Washington Capitals.

It didn't take long for the Rangers to fall behind, and once they did, they had a hard time catching up. Offensive struggles that have been present all season persisted in the low-scoring affair. Igor Shesterkin played a strong game, having made 24 saves on 25 shots, but it wouldn't be enough to drag his team into the win column.

First Period

The Islanders wasted no time as they found the back of the net within the first minutes. Islanders captain Anders Lee found the puck in front of the net and got it behind Shesterkin. Carson Soucy made a bad play behind the net, leading to a turnover which set up the goal. Matt Barzal took the first shot, but ultimately Lee got the game's first goal off the rebound.

Not long after, Barzal made another play, which drew a trip on Vladislav Gavrikov, which sent the Islanders to the game's first power play. After the Blueshirts gave up the early goal, their penalty killers held strong, surviving the Islanders' man advantage. While Gavrikov was in the box, the Rangers did not allow the Islanders to get a shot on goal.

As the period went on, the Rangers struggled offensively, a common theme of their centennial season, having failed to register a goal in the first 10 minutes and only having one shot attempt. The team struggled to get the puck into the offensive zone, and once they did, it was short-lived. The offense may not have been present, but the Rangers did clean up their defense after allowing the early goal.

The Rangers got their first shot on goal 11:25 into the period with Taylor Raddysh having sent a pass to Will Cuylle on the rush. Islanders goalie David Rittich came away with his first save of the day after he had waited for majority of the period to make his first save.

Play picked up in the following minutes as both teams got pucks to the net, but each side's goaltender held strong, keeping it a one-goal game in favor of the home team. Vincent Trocheck ended the period with a strong shot, but the Rangers remained scoreless. The first period ended much better than it began for the Rangers. They were able to close the gap for shots on goal and didn't have any defensive breakdowns following Lee's goal. While the Islanders went into the locker room with a one-goal lead, it still felt like anyone's game.

Second Period

The start of the second went much better for the Rangers, as they did not give up an early goal. Shesterkin stood tall, coming up with an early save on Barzal, but his teammates still had a hard time scoring, putting a lot of pressure on him. Following a nice shift in the offensive zone, Alexis Lafrenière was called for hooking, which gave the Islanders their second power play of the night.

For the second time, the penalty killers stepped up when they were called on, keeping the game 1-0. The Rangers only allowed one shot on goal and continued to play well defensively. Following the power play, Artemi Panarin got an amazing shot on a breakaway but Rittich denied him. It was the best chance the Rangers had up to that point.

A breakaway from Max Shabanov led to a hooking call from Braden Schneider, resulting in the Islanders' third power play. The worst part was Shabanov crashed into Shesterkin, who was slow to get up. Shesterkin skated to the bench for a minute but did not miss any playing time.

The Islanders' power play picked it up, with their best opportunity coming off a one-timer for Jonathan Drouin. Shesterkin stole a goal from Druin and displayed that whatever was bothering him earlier wasn't going to slow him down. The Rangers went on to kill their third penalty of the night.

Not long after, the Blueshirts drew their first penalty of the game with Adam Pelech being called for interference. Their power play appeared to be successful as it looked like Cuylle scored on the rush after the Islanders tried to extend their lead shorthanded. Mika Zibanejad passed it to Cuylle, who ended up hitting the crossbar. The Rangers came close to tying the game, but they still trailed with 1:20 left on the power play.

The Islanders went on to successfully kill the remainder of the Rangers' man advantage. Brennan Othmann generated a strong scoring opportunity right outside the crease, but Rittich robbed the former first-round pick of his first goal. The Islanders once again took a 1-0 lead into the intermission, and time was winding down for the Rangers.

Third Period

Barzal returned to the bench at the start of the third period after he took a big hit from Cuylle at the end of the second. Lafrenière and Panarin came out hot to start the third but didn't find the back of the net. Coming back the other way, Shesterkin made an incredible save on Drouin and robbed him once again.

Moments later, Noah Laba and Tony DeAngelo both g0t called for a minor penalty. Laba headed to the box for a trip, and DeAngelo got hit for interference. During four-on-four play, Scott Mayfield rang a shot off the post and nearly extended their lead. Both players left the box with neither one of their teammates capitalizing with them in the box.

While he tried to play the puck, Rittich went behind the net and took a hit from Cuylle, which ensued a scrum with all players on the ice involved. Cuylle got called for goaltender interference on what was a controversial call, and for the fourth time, the Blueshirts' penalty killers headed onto the ice.

The Rangers once again played strong shorthanded and generated a shorthanded opportunity. Zibanejad carried the puck across the blue line before he found Carson Soucy, who drew a penalty shot. Soucy came in on the play, but Rittich made another save, holding the Islanders' lead intact.

The Islanders returned to the man advantage with 41 seconds left on the power play, but the Rangers killed off another penalty. It wasn't long before the Islanders went back to the power play, with Vincent Trocheck being called for holding.

The Rangers continued to keep the Islanders scoreless on the power play, but they weren't without their chances. Bo Horvat rang a one-timer off the post, which contributed to the close goals for the Islanders. The penalty kill unit to that point had gone five for five, but a tripping call on Calum Ritchie sent the Rangers to their second power play, gave them hope as time wound down.

The Blueshirts' second trip to the power play didn't go as they drew it up. The Islanders held onto their lead with multiple good clears and did not allow the Rangers to get the puck in the back of the net. Following the power play, Shesterkin made multiple great saves, which led to a tripping call against Horvat as he tried desperately to score.

The team's second power play of the period went just like their first as Rittich preserved his shutout. After head coach Mike Sullivan called a timeout, he elected to pull Shesterkin, which gave the Rangers a 6-on-4 advantage once they took control of the puck.

The Islanders went on to kill off Horvat's penalty and took full advantage of the empty net. Simon Holstrom put the game away with 16 seconds left to play, giving the Islanders a 2-0 lead, which ended up being the final score.

For the second time this season, the Rangers lost The Battle of New York and have yet to find the back of the net against the Islanders. After giving up an early goal, they failed to find the back of the net and was never able to recover. Offensive struggles at even strength and on the man advantage have, and will continue to, haunt the Rangers all season. The Rangers have Sunday off but are back on the road Monday to take on the Carolina Hurricanes.