Game Preview: Islanders at Rangers

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (4-5-2) AT NEW YORK RANGERS (7-2-1)

1 PM | MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

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It may be Marathon Sunday on the streets of New York City, but inside Madison Square Garden, it’ll be another grudge match between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers.

The Isles enter the rivalry game on the heels of a resilient 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night, snapping a three-game losing streak in the process. The two points came at the cost of two defensemen, as both Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly left the game with upper-body injuries.

There isn’t much time to dwell on the growing injury list, as the Islanders look to wrap their three-game road trip on a winning note.

“It really sucks losing guys, but at the same time, this is the reality of today,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said. “We need to find ways to win games, and I trust this room. This is a strong room. This is a room that guys care. It's a room that has a lot of leadership.”

The Rangers are coming off a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Friday night. Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist, while Igor Shesterkin stopped 40-of-41 on a night the Rangers were outshot 41-18.

The Islanders went 1-1-2 last season against the Rangers, including 0-1-1 at Madison Square Garden. The Isles are 0-2-1 in their last three trips to MSG, which is following up a five-game winning streak on Broadway. The last Islanders win at The Garden came on Nov. 8, 2022.

PREGAME UPDATES:

- Alexander Romanov is out against the Rangers, per Roy. The defenseman finished the game after sustaining an injury of the second period in Friday's 4-3 win over the Sabres, after missing three games with an upper body injury. Romanov missed practice with the team on Saturday at MSG.

- Ilya Sorokin will start in goal for the Islanders on Sunday, per Roy. Sorokin is 3-2-1 this season with a 2.00 GAA, a .928 SV%. Sorokin is 3-3-2 lifetime against the Rangers with a 3.10 GAA and a .912 SV%. Sorokin is 1-3-1 lifetime at The Garden, with a 3.37 GAA and a .899 SV%.

- Shesterkin will start in net for the Rangers. The netminder has played a big role in the Rangers early defensive success, allowing one goal or fewer in four of his eight starts. He is 5-2-1 in eight starts with season with a 2.25 GAA and a .931 SV% and one shutout.

ISLES NOTES:

- Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech will both be out for four-to-six weeks with upper-body injuries, Islanders President of Hockey Ops and General Manager Lou Lamoriello announced on Saturday afternoon. Barzal suffered the injury in Wednesday's 2-0 shutout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets and was placed on long term injured reserve (LTIR), meaning he must miss 10 games and 24 days, while Pelech suffered his injury in Friday's 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Pelech was placed on regular IR.

- Mike Reilly is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury after leaving Friday’s win over Buffalo. Reilly was checked hard into the boards by Jordan Greenway before falling awkwardly and hitting his head on the ice. Reilly was able to get off the ice with the help of teammates, but did not practice on Saturday.

- Alexander Romanov also did not practice on Saturday, but did return to action and finish Friday’s contest. Romanov had missed the three previous games with an upper-body injury before returning to the line up in Buffalo.

- In wake of the injuries to the blue line, the Islanders recalled defensemen Grant Hutton and Samuel Bolduc on Saturday afternoon. Hutton has appeared in 18 NHL games with the Islanders over the past three seasons, as well as 236 games with the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL. Bolduc has appeared in 51 NHL games with the Islanders, including 34 last season. He has five points (1G, 4A) in nine games with Bridgeport to start the year.

- With Barzal out, the Isles debuted a new-look line of Anders Lee, Bo Horvat and JG Pageau, which combined for five points (2G, 3A) and 16 shots on goal. Horvat (1G, 1A) had a game-high eight shots, Lee (2A) recorded five shots and Pageau (1G) had three shots in the contest. Pageau’s 21:28 TOI led Islanders forwards and cleared his previous season high (18:04) by over three minutes.

RANGERS NOTES:

- After reaching the Eastern Conference Final last season, the Rangers are off to another hot start this year, going 7-2-1 in their first 10 games. The Blueshirts have been stingy, averaging a league-low 2.20 goals against per game. The Rangers own the NHL’s second-ranked PK (91.2%) and the seventh-ranked power play (27.6%).

- Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers with 16 points (7G, 9A) through 10 games this season. Panarin’s 16 points are tied for eighth in NHL scoring. Panarin has 40 points (13G, 27A) in 34 career games against the Islanders, including points in six straight matchups.

- Lafreniere has 10 points (5G, 5A) in 10 games to start the season. The 2020 first-overall pick is coming off a career-year that saw him record 57 points (28G, 29A) and earned him a seven-year extension, which he signed on Oct. 25.

- Jimmy Vesey is expected to make his season debut on Sunday after missing the first 10 games of the season with a lower-body injury.

- Matt Rempe was assigned to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday.