New York Rangers Fall To New York Islanders 5-2 After Completing a Trade
The Rangers are in last place in the Metropolitan Division and have sent a letter to fans promising to trade old and expensive stars for young talent. The rivals completed only the fourth-ever trade between the two teams yesterday.
The Islanders were able to win this game against the Rangers 5-2 and completed two trades yesterday. Both players played for the Islander in this game. Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche gave a vote of confidence to the team by acquiring talent. Do you think the Islanders will make the playoffs?
Rangers-Islanders Scoring Summary
The Rangers are coming off a rare win. A 4-3 overtime victory against the Boston Bruins on Monday night. Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller, Will Borgen, and Matthew Robertson were the goal scorers for the Blue Shirts in the win. However, they are mired in last place in the division.
The Rangers are just 2-7-1 in their last 10 games. They are trading away assets, including to the Islanders. The Islanders are acquiring talent, in a playoff position, and coming off a 4-0 shutout victory at the Flyers. Here is a scoring summary of this game.
In the first period, Ondrej Palat scored on the power play for the Islanders. He paid immediate dividends, and the Islanders took a 1-0 lead. Then, Simon Holmstrom scored for the Islanders to give them a 2-0 lead. Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers on the power play, making the score 2-1. That is how the first period ended. The Islanders played better, and had to be disappointed to only be leading 2-1.
In the second period, the Islanders scored three goals and the Rangers scored one. Matthew Barzal scored on a power play for the Islanders. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Islanders. Taylor Raddysh then scored for the Blue Shirts. Finally, Emil Heineman scored for the Islanders to re-establish their three-goal lead. In the third period, there were no goals, but the Islanders held the balance of play.
Trades
The Islanders made two trades, and both of the new players played for the Islanders in this game. In the first trade, the Islanders acquired Carson Soucy in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick in a trade with the New York Rangers on Monday night.
Soucy, who has had stints with the Minnesota Wild, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, and Rangers before landing on Long Island, has recorded 8 points in 46 games this season. The 31-year-old defenseman added 71 hits, 66 blocked shots, and 14 takeaways. He is going to be a key part of the Islanders’ defense and was paired with Adam Boqvist in the morning skate.
The second trade was potentially more impactful. The Islanders acquired Forward Palat from the New Jersey Devils, along with a third-round pick in 2026 and a sixth-round pick in 2027, for Maxim Tsyplakov. So, the Islanders recouped the third-round pick they traded away in the Soucey trade.
Palat has had a poor season, but has been exceptional in the playoffs, and is a two-time Stanley Cup winner. He has played 876 games over 14 seasons and has recorded 515 points over that span with a career +133 rating. Tsyplakov, 27, played 104 career games with the Islanders over two seasons and had two points (1G, 1A) through 27 games this year.
It is a little disappointing to give up on a young player, but he did not have a place on this team. The Islanders acquired Palat in a bit of a salary dump for the struggling Devils. Palat makes $6 million a year, and the Islanders have some salary cap flexibility.
Player Of the Game
The player of the game between the Islanders and the Rangers was Palat. To score in your first period with a new team is special. He also had an assist. He paid immediate dividends.
Turning Point
The turning point of this game was the second-period goal by Heineman. That goal re-established the Islanders’ three-goal lead. At that point, it was clear the Islanders were going to win the game. It was very unlikely the Rangers were going to score 6 goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
The final score of the game was 5-2 Islanders. The player of the game was Ondrej Palat, who scored in the first period of his first game with the team.
These two teams play each other again tomorrow. The game is at 7 pm and at Madison Square Garden, the home of the Rangers.
Parting Shots
As the Islanders are in third place in the Metropolitan Division and the Rangers are in last place, the Islanders should have won this game. This sentiment is only enhanced by the fact that the Islanders acquired a Rangers defenseman for a draft pick.
