NEW YORK — The New York Rangers secured a commanding victory against their city rivals, the New York Islanders, with a 4-0 win on Monday night. Will Cuylle and Will Borgen set the stage early in the first period, while goaltender Igor Shesterkin delivered an impressive performance, stopping 21 shots to achieve his fourth shutout of the season.
Contributing to the Rangers’ victory, J.T. Miller and Artemi Panarin each notched a goal and an assist. This win marks the Rangers’ fourth triumph out of their last five matches, featuring their second consecutive shutout. Ilya Sorokin, the Islanders’ goalie, managed 22 saves, but the team suffered its fifth loss out of the last seven games.
The game’s opening goal came from a fortuitous sequence, with 4:57 remaining in the first period. A shot by Zac Jones from the blue line was accidentally deflected by Islanders’ Kyle Palmieri. The puck then ricocheted off Cuylle’s helmet and past the netminder, Sorokin, as he was shifting right. Borgen extended the lead with only 45 seconds left in the first period, capitalizing on a short-handed opportunity. Receiving a pass from Sam Carrick, Borgen fired the puck by Sorokin, registering his fourth goal of the season.
Miller widened the gap to 3-0 early in the third period at 3:43, exploiting a shot from the right side to beat Sorokin. Opting for an extra skater, the Islanders removed Sorokin with 7:40 left on the clock. However, Panarin quickly capitalized on this, sinking an empty-net goal with 5:09 remaining in the game, marking his 25th of the season.
Takeaways from the game reveal the Islanders are struggling, having lost six of their last eight games and are lingering five points from a playoff berth. The Rangers are on a hot streak with a 7-3-0 record over their last ten games, positioning them level with Detroit for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card. The Red Wings, however, have an advantage with one additional game in hand.
A pivotal moment came as Anders Lee nearly put the Islanders ahead in the middle of the first period, but after a challenge from the Rangers, the goal was overturned for offside. The Rangers showcased their defensive resilience, amassing 22 blocked shots to fend off any Islanders’ scoring threats.
Looking ahead, the Islanders will face the top-ranked Winnipeg on Tuesday, while the Rangers will host Washington’s star Alex Ovechkin on Wednesday.
