Rangers spoil Pageau's debut with Islanders

UNIONDALE, N.Y. --The New York Rangers spoiled Jean-Gabriel Pageau's debut with the New York Islanders when Mika Zibanejad scored 28 seconds into overtime for a 4-3 win at Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday.

Zibanejad won it with a one-timer from the slot after Brock Nelson tied it 3-3 with 17.9 seconds remaining and Semyon Varlamov pulled for the extra skater.
"A lot of emotion, a physical game," said Pageau, who was acquired in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on Monday for three draft picks before signing a six-year, $30 million contract. "The fans were really loud. These games, that's what we play for. We're all competitors, and these games are fun to play."
WATCH: [All Rangers vs. Islanders highlights]
Pageau scored in his debut but missed most of the third period after instigating a fight with Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba, who knocked forward Michael Dal Colle out of the game with an open-ice hit.
"It's never fun to see a player go down like that," Pageau said. "That's why we step up for each other."

Alexandar Georgiev made 42 saves for the Rangers (34-24-4), who have won four straight and are 8-1-0 in their past nine games. The Rangers trail the Columbus Blue Jackets by four points for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
The Rangers set a team record with their eighth straight road victory; they had previously won seven in a row twice (Jan. 12-Feb. 12, 1935, and Oct. 28-Nov. 29, 1978).
"I think the whole game, we played pretty smart," Zibanejad said. "Obviously, we don't want to lose a 3-1 lead and give them a point like that, but we'll take the two and keep going."
Varlamov made 24 saves for the Islanders (35-20-7), who moved one point ahead of the Blue Jackets for the first wild card in the East.

The Islanders not only played the majority of the third without Pageau, but defenseman Andy Greene left after he sustained an apparent upper-body injury early in the first period. Coach Barry Trotz listed Greene and Dal Colle as day to day.
"[The resiliency] tells me a lot about my team and the group," Trotz said. "Even when were down 3-1, all the leaders, all the key guys were saying, 'We're coming back in this.'"
Pageau scored his 25th goal of the season when he gloved a rebound off the end boards and scored into an open net with a backhand to make it 2-1 at 17:04 of the second period.
"He's going to be a big piece for us," Nelson said. "He's solid. He looked comfortable out there, confident, got on the score sheet and stood up for a teammate. He's only been here a day, but good on him. We're going to love having him."
Brett Howden made it 3-1 with a redirection of Brendan Smith's point shot at 9:34 of the third period.

The Islanders appeared to score at 12:16, but the officials ruled Anders Lee interfered with Georgiev, and the call stood after a challenge by Trotz.
But Jordan Eberle cut it to 3-2 with a power-play goal on a backhand at 14:23 before Nelson tied it with a redirection of Devon Toews' pass.
"You just throw it all at them and give everything you can," Islanders forward Josh Bailey said. "I thought each guy stepped up. It was a great atmosphere, an exciting game. I think you get the blood pumping really in games like this. It was a fun game to be a part of."

Artemi Panarin gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 17:02 of the first period off a cross-slot pass from Ryan Lindgren, and Greg McKegg redirected Brendan Lemieux's one-timer to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead at 7:48 of the second.
"We've got so many young players and a bunch of new guys," Rangers center Ryan Strome said. "We've really come together as a team in the second half, and it's nice to see."

They said it

"It felt like a playoff game in a lot of ways. Just an incredibly fast-paced game, incredibly intense. We really had it between the ears tonight and in between the legs."-- Rangers coach David Quinn
"You saw how he stepped up. What a great pickup by (Islanders general manager) Lou (Lamoriello). The picks are nothing, I can tell you that, because a lot of picks never play unless you know you have a solid guy. He fits right into our hockey team. You saw the character, you saw how he plays, the smarts, all that. He's going to be impactful for us. I'm glad he's on our side." -- Islanders coach Barry Trotz on center Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Need to know

Panarin extended his point streak to 10 games (five goals, nine assists), and Zibanejad extended his to eight games (seven goals, seven assists). … McKegg replaced forward Pavel Buchnevich (soreness), who was in a car accident with Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (rib fracture) on Sunday. … Islanders forward Derick Brassard did not have a shot on goal and was minus-2 in 16:42 of ice time. He missed the previous two games with an upper-body injury. … The Islanders are 5-0-2 in their past seven home games.

What's next

Rangers:At the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; TSN2, RDS, MSG 2, NHL.TV)
Islanders:At the St. Louis Blues on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; FS-MW, MSG+, NHL.TV)