Stakes high for Islanders as rematch with Rangers looms
In no particular order, bets for Saturday afternoon’s New York battle for the Islanders include, but are not limited to: If the Islanders win and both the Capitals (vs. Tampa) and Red Wings (Toronto) lose, they will advance to the playoffs. Rangers manager Peter Laviolette honored Adam Pelech and Noah Dobson after he criticized both […]
Islanders to start Ilya Sorokin vs. Rangers
Semyon Varlamov didn’t get much of a heroic moment Thursday night, as the Islanders only had 14 shots on net, tying a season low. But Varlamov was good enough to make some key saves on odd-man rushes, and after a 3-2 win over the Canadiens, Patrick Roy said the netminder’s play would lead to Saturday’s […]
Islanders beat Canadiens amid Noah Dobson’s injury
Two points were a top priority for the Islanders on Thursday, and they checked that box. Still, despite the celebratory mood after Kyle Palmieri’s overtime game-winning goal, Noah Dobson’s first-period loss meant the star defenseman was ejected just over five minutes into the game, resulting in a 3-2 overtime loss to Montreal. It casts a […]
Rangers’ animosity toward Islanders won’t have to fester
This bad blood won’t smolder for long. Unlike the Rangers-Devils rivalry that erupted in a brawl on April 3 and took more than three weeks to resolve, the Rangers and Islanders hardly even have to wait. Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette was furious after giving up two hits in the Rangers’ 4-2 loss to the […]
Cal Clutterbuck’s message pays dividends for Islanders
During a third period Tuesday night spent almost entirely in the defensive zone, Cal Clutterbuck circled the Islanders during a television timeout with the message: “Bear down, simple, get the puck off.” The Islanders hung on for a 4-2 win over the Rangers, just as they hung on for a 2-0 win against the Predators […]
Rangers’ Peter Laviolette furious over ‘vicious’ hits in Islanders loss
Peter Laviolette was excited after the Rangers’ fourth-to-last game of the season, a 4-2 loss to the Islanders at UBS Arena on Tuesday night. Never before had a head coach been so furious after a game in his first year on the Rangers bench. And it wasn’t because his team couldn’t claw back the win […]
Islanders’ Matt Martin knows exactly what Rangers’ Matt Rempe has to prove
Matt Martin was, in another life, Matt Lempe, about minus five inches. When the Islanders Enforcer entered the league and played five games with the Islanders in the 2009-10 season, the Enforcer was still a player category on almost every team. That means Martin has fought twice in those five fights. And a year later, […]
Casey Cizikas sparking Islanders’ top line after latest shift
The spur-of-the-moment decision to try Casey Cizikas on the top line with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal last week in Philadelphia, like Patrick Roy’s reaction on Saturday, will have a lasting impact on the Islanders’ season ending. I might end up giving it. When asked about the trio at night. “I’ve been here for two […]
Rangers know what awaits them in desperate Islanders
Rangers know exactly what awaits them. For the first time this season, the Blueshirts will travel to Long Island to face the Islanders at UBS Arena on Tuesday night, another divisional game ahead of the playoffs. Including Tuesday’s matchup, the Rangers will play their final four Division 3 games. Rangers manager Peter Laviolette watches the […]
Islanders’ playoff hopes still not safe entering Rangers clashes
The Islanders cheered at the start of Monday’s practice and gave a mock ovation as both goaltenders and a small group of players joined the rest of the team on the ice at the Northwell Health Ice Center. Ilya Sorokin raised his glove in a mock salute. The entire roster did stick taps. The Islanders […]