The Islanders are absolutely dominating their rivals, the Rangers, and their latest victory paints a stark picture of this ongoing power shift! It's hard to capture the essence of the current "Battle of New York" better than a single moment from Wednesday night's game. Imagine this: it's 14:59 into the first period, and Ondrej Palat is already celebrating his first goal as an Islander, just a day after being traded from their cross-town rivals, the New Jersey Devils.
Meanwhile, the Rangers' highest-paid player, Artemi Panarin, wasn't even in the lineup. This wasn't due to injury, but rather a strategic decision for "roster management" as the Blueshirts reportedly look to move the Russian winger, who famously chose Broadway over Long Island back in 2019. And as if that wasn't telling enough, the UBS scoreboard revealed the Rangers had managed a mere one shot on goal in almost 15 minutes of play. At least this time, they managed to avoid being completely shut out.
But here's where it gets interesting: the Islanders have now won all three of their matchups against the Rangers this season, completely controlling the game and securing a convincing 5-2 victory. The fresh energy from new acquisitions like Palat and Carson Soucy (who made his Islanders debut against his former team!) was palpable. The Islanders were in possession, working effectively below the hash marks, and dictating the pace for the entire night.
Palat seemed to instantly gel with Bo Horvat and Emil Heineman. Heineman, in particular, had a standout performance, creating numerous scoring chances before finally finding the back of the net off a feed from Adam Pelech, extending the lead to 5-2 late in the third period. However, the true stars of the night might have been the third line of Anders Lee, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Simon Holmstrom. Holmstrom was instrumental, assisting on Palat's opening power-play goal, scoring just 1:11 later off a slick backdoor pass from Tony DeAngelo, and then adding a second power-play assist on a beautiful tic-tac-toe play that involved DeAngelo, Horvat, and ultimately led to Mathew Barzal scoring.
Tony DeAngelo, who has been playing exceptionally well lately, was simply terrific against his old team, showcasing his elite vision and passing. While Mika Zibanejad managed to briefly bring the Rangers within 2-1 on a power-play one-timer at 13:12 of the second period, Barzal's goal and then Pageau's quick tally off a rebound from Marc Gatcomb swiftly restored the Islanders' commanding 4-1 lead.
David Rittich, who had faced some struggles in January, also had a solid night in net for the Islanders. However, the Rangers' scoring opportunities were few and far between. This game, much like their previous one, was less about the goaltender and more about the Islanders' dominant play in front of him – a truly positive sign for their team.
And this is the part most people miss: for the third time in three games against the Rangers, the Islanders looked like a playoff team facing a struggling club. Oh wait, that's exactly what the scoreboard showed.
Now, I have to ask: Do you think this Islanders' dominance over the Rangers is a sign of a lasting shift in power in New York, or is this just a temporary slump for the Blueshirts? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
