Islanders Beat the Rangers 4-3; There Are Some Silver Linings

The Islanders won this game against the rival Rangers 4-3. That makes the team 1-1 in the preseason. Only two preseason games remain; the regular season starts next Wednesday in Toronto. The home opener for the team is October 3. One could look at the less-than-inspiring record and say the team is not having a good preseason; however, there were some good things in this game.

One of the good things in this game was the fact that Semyon Varlamov came in to replace Ilya Sorokin (who was not good). Varlamov has the potential to be one of the best stories in the National Hockey League because he’s returning after having partial knee replacements. He played well in this game and was a bright spot for the Islanders. Do you think the Islanders will keep three goaltenders on their major league roster?

Islanders Against Rangers Preseason Game Summary September 22

The Islanders were hoping to continue to sharpen their sword in the preseason game against the Rangers. They won, and there were some good news stories for them. What were these stories, and what can the Isles take from them?

In the first period, Cole Beaudoin scored to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. That was how the first period ended. In the second period, the Rangers scored two more goals. First, Pavel Dorofeyev scored. Then, Taylor Raddysh scored. The Isles answered when Kyle MacLean scored. Then Matthew Schaefer scored on the power play. The period ended with the Rangers having a 3-2 lead.

The Islanders scored two more goals in the third period; Matias Maccelli scored three on the power play. That gave the Islanders a 4-3 lead. It was a very good sign that he scored three goals on the power play since Jan. 25, 2024. That gives the Islanders three power-play goals for the game. Considering how their power play has been moribund lately, those are three important goals.

Varlamov Relieves Sorokin and Plays Well

Semyon Varlamov relieved an ineffective Ilya Sorokin midway through the second period in this game. That move was probably planned. Varlamov played well in this game. He is working on becoming one of the best stories in the National Hockey League. In this game, he kept the Islanders in the game, but more broadly, he is coming back after having both knees partially replaced. He played two conditioning games for the Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate, then in Bridgeport, at the end of last season. He looked ready then, as he played well. He has said he feels good and is obviously playing well. He stopped 10 shots in this game.

In the offseason, the Islanders signed goaltender Vitek Vanecek. If Varlamov is healthy, the Islanders could carry three goaltenders. That could prove important. Ilya Sorokin has worn down in the last two seasons. With two backup goaltenders, both effective, they could both get 15-20 starts and reduce Sorokin’s workload.

Matthew Schaefer Scores

Matthew Schaefer scored the second goal for the Islanders on the power play. It was good that he scored and a good sign that the Islanders scored on the power play. Schaefer is a bona fide star for the team, and they need to get him off to a good start. The power play, meanwhile, has been terrible for more than a decade. It is a good sign that it was productive. It is important to make teams pay when they have a man in the penalty box.

Matias Maccelli Scores Twice on the Power Play in the Third Period

The team signed one free agent skater in the offseason. Matias Maccelli scored twice on the power play in the third period. If he can be effective on the power-play unit, it would be huge for the Islanders. There is no doubt the team hopes he can develop chemistry with other players on the power-play unit, such as Schaefer.