NEW YORK — Artemi Panarin found the back of the net twice, while Mika Zibanejad contributed three assists, leading the New York Rangers to a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday. Igor Shesterkin was exceptional in goal, turning away 35 shots as the Rangers continued their strong performance on home ice, following a previous win against Ottawa.

Chris Kreider opened the scoring for the Rangers with a shorthanded goal just 3:44 into the game, marking his seventh goal of the season. Zibanejad provided the assist while Rangers captain Jacob Trouba served a penalty. The Rangers extended their lead when Vincent Trocheck scored at 1:21 of the second period, taking advantage after Reilly Smith forced a turnover from Islanders defenseman Samuel Bolduc.

The Islanders managed to reduce the deficit to one when Casey Cizikas knocked in a loose puck past Shesterkin at 4:38 during the second period. However, Panarin quickly regained a two-goal cushion for the Rangers, scoring on the power play at 11:04. Brock Nelson found the net for the Islanders right at the end of the second period, making it a closer 3-2 game as he scored in a scramble with only eight seconds left.

The third period saw Adam Edstrom score his first career goal at 5:18, which was followed by Panarin netting his second goal of the game into an empty net at 16:37, solidifying the Rangers’ lead. For the Islanders, Ilya Sorokin also had a notable performance, making 35 saves throughout the match.

The defeat dropped the Islanders to a record of 4-6-2, adding to their struggles as they have been shut out four times, managed just one goal in another instance, and scored only twice in this latest matchup. Conversely, the Rangers improved to a record of 4-1-1 at home and are 4-1-0 on the road this season.

One of the key moments in the game came when Shesterkin thwarted Islanders forward Bo Horvat during a breakaway early in the second period, followed by another crucial save 3:50 into the third period.

In terms of individual achievements, Kreider’s first-period goal marked the 311th of his career, placing him third on the all-time Rangers scoring list behind Rod Gilbert (406) and Jean Ratelle (336). Panarin has been instrumental for the Rangers, tallying points in 10 of their first 11 games and leading the team with 18 points.

Looking ahead, the Islanders are set to host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, while the Rangers will welcome the Buffalo Sabres at home on Thursday.