Islanders Lose to the Rangers 6-1 as Semyon Varlamov Starts

The Islanders lost a preseason game to the rival Rangers 6-1. This comes on the heels of a rousing 4-3 comeback victory over the team. The mark of inconsistency, something this team is known for. In this game, we learned something about the team. They will struggle to score goals, especially with one of their stars, Mat Barzal, injured. They cannot fall into early holes this season, as they did in this game.

Also, while it was good that Semyon Varlamov started this game, he did not play well. He played his last NHL game on Nov. 29, 2024, and is a great story. However, in this game, he allowed 6 goals on 27 shots. The Islanders were losing 3-0 after only half of this game, and trailed 6-0 in the third period. This team is not good enough to fall into deficits and be forced to fight back. They simply do not have the offensive firepower. Do you think they will make the playoffs this year?

Islanders and Rangers Game Summary, Sept. 25

The Islanders played this game at home, though you would not know it, given the way they were dominated in a 6-1 loss. Indeed, the team started mainly with a minor league lineup. Meanwhile, the Rangers had a much stronger lineup. It is often the case that in preseason games, the result can be dictated by the differing quality of the teams’ lineups. Here is how the game played out.

In the first period, the Rangers scored two goals. Oliver Bjorkstrand and J.T. Miller (on the power play) both scored. The period ended with the Rangers having a 2-0 lead. In the second period, the Rangers scored three more goals to take a 5-0 lead. Tye Kartye (3-0), Gabe Perreault (4-0), and Will Cuylle (5-0) all scored.

In the third period, the teams exchanged goals. Mika Zibanejad scored on the power play for the Rangers, and then Pierre Engvall scored for the Islanders. The final score of the game was 6-1 for the Rangers.

Inconsistency

This 6-1 loss for the Islanders, in which they were dominated at home, follows on the heels of a comeback 4-3 win. This team may have been the most inconsistent in the National Hockey League last season. For instance, last year they traveled west and won 6. Then, they collapsed in April.

They would look great against a good team, and then look bad against a bad team. In this case, they played the same team back-to-back and had an emotional comeback win in one game, and just a few days later got completely dominated at home. It is puzzling and frustrating how a team full of professionals could be so up and down.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Islanders lost this game 6-1. The player of the game was the Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. He had 15 saves and allowed only one goal. He was named the game’s first star. The Rangers have wrapped up their preseason, and next they play the Boston Bruins in the first game of the regular season on Tuesday. The Islanders play the Devils Saturday night in their final preseason game. They travel to Toronto Wednesday to start their regular season.

Conclusion

The Islanders are going to have problems scoring this season. One can see it after just three preseason games. In this game, they only had 16 shots (typically a hockey team has about 27-30 in a game). The team cannot withstand injuries to the few of its players who pose an offensive threat, as is the case with Mat Barzal being out. Fans must wonder if he is going to be okay. He has had an inflamed knee since he blocked Darren Raddysh’s shot Feb. 1, 2025 and broke his kneecap.