The Rangers Win the Battle of New York
Photo Credit: John Munson / AP Photo
On Saturday afternoon, Apr. 13, the New York Rangers beat the New York Islanders, 3-2, in what was the final meeting of a four-game series between the two sides. While the Rangers did win the last matchup, it is important to look at how the previous games transpired as well.
Feb. 18, MetLife Stadium
In what was arguably the best game of the 2023-24 NHL regular season, the Rangers came out on top with a, 6-5, Stadium Series win over the Islanders. After getting off to a slow start and being down two goals with four minutes left, the Rangers battled back and won the game in overtime after Artemi Panarin’s shot was determined to have crossed the goal line.
This was only the first matchup between the two New York teams, but it set in stone that this was going to be one of the most intense rivalries of this season.
Mar. 17, Madison Square Garden
Playing in primetime game on St. Patrick’s Day, viewers’ thought that this game was going to be just as close as their last overtime thriller. Unfortunately, they were wrong. The Rangers pretty much dominated the entire game and ended up winning, 5-2. It was a very evenly distributed game for the Rangers as 13 players had at least one point.
The Rangers have an act for pulling away in the final periods of many games, and this one was more or less the same. Now in two games, the Islanders were not able to stop a relentless Rangers team.
Apr. 9, UBS Arena
The Islanders were finally able to get a win over their crosstown rival, as they got to play at home against the Rangers for the first time in over a year. They got off to an extremely hot start, putting away three goals in the first period, and shutting out the Rangers. That was when the Rangers were able to get some momentum going on the power play, as they scored two on the man advantage. After a very controversial no-call by the refs, with a hit from behind by Noah Dobson on Vincent Trocheck, the Islanders put away an empty net goal to win the game, 4-2.
The questionable call caused a lot of uproar by Rangers players and fans after the game, as head coach, Peter Laviolette, was also irate with the officiating. When asked about a different event that happened during the game, a collision between Mika Zibanejad and Adam Pelech, Laviolette shared his thoughts on the matter.
“He came back at the end from that vicious hit. He came back. That vicious shoulder, elbow to the head. Watch it.”
With tensions at an all-time high between the two teams, people were anxious to see how the final game in Madison Square Garden would pan out.
As mentioned before, the Rangers were able to beat the Islanders, 3-2, in this game. After both teams got elite level goaltending out of Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin, the game was decided in a shootout. Vincent Trocheck, who was the victim of the no-call in the previous meeting, put away the game winning goal, winning the series, 3-1 in favor of the Blueshirts.
While Rangers fans didn’t get the Matt Rempe fight that they wanted, they did get to see their team win the regular season series. After four intense games between the two New York teams, the Rangers came out on top in the end. It is still unconfirmed as to who the Rangers will be playing in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but there is still a big chance that it might be the Islanders.
If that playoff series is as good as what everyone saw in the regular season, NHL fans will be in for quite a treat.