[sc:NHL250 ]The New York Rangers and New York Islanders are tied for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Jockeying for position in a heated playoff race should make for one hell of a matchup between these archrivals.
The Islanders are coming off a 5-2 home victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets, while the Rangers are also entering the game with a 2-1 win over Boston. It’s going to be one hell of a rivalry game at Barclays Center, alright.
The New York Rangers may be finding their groove once again. They’ve gone 2-0-1 in their last three games after a horrid 5-11-2 rut. Most recently, the Rangers rallied for a 2-1 home win against the Boston Bruins on Monday after being held scoreless before the third period of that match. It was the first time the Rangers overcame a deficit in the final period, having gone 0-11-2 before then.
[sc:NHL240 ]Derick Brassard tied the game in the first minute of the third period before Jesper Fast netted the game-winner with 1:42 left. Even goaltender Henrik Lundqvist looked like himself, making 32 of 33 saves.
Brassard has been as hot as ever as he currently has a three-game point streak going. He’s one dangerous player in the Rangers’ the frontline alongside Mats Zuccarello and Rick Nash.
Zuccarello has been outstanding this season himself, leading the team with 32 points and 16 goals. He also assisted in Brassard’s tying goal against the Bruins. Nash, other other hand, isn’t scoring a bucket-load of goals this season, but he’s been excellent in giving his teammates opportunities with his 17 assists.
Speaking of assists, defenseman Keith Yandle has been solid in that regard as well with a team-high 21 helpers for the season. Yandle is also on a three-game points-streak like Brassard, with four in his last five outings. Having a talented playmaker like him should give the Rangers an opportunity to net pucks against the Islanders’ Jaroslav Halak. The Isles’ goalie has allowed four goals in each of his last two starts.
The Rangers have lost nine of their last 10 on the road.
Betting on the New York Islanders (23-15-5)
The New York Islanders are one of the best offensive teams in the league at this moment. There’s no stopping them when they score, as the Islanders are 19-2 in games where they scored at least three goals, and they’re 16-3-2 when they find the net first. The Islanders’ high-flying offense was in full display in their latest matchup, a 5-2 victory at home against Columbus on Tuesday.
Brock Nelson, the Islanders’ leading scorer with 17 goals this season, is still on fire after scoring a hat trick and an assist against Columbus. Brian Strait and Ryan Strome each scored as well in the Islanders’ blowout of the Blue Jackets. There’s also Kyle Okposo, who will shoulder most of the Isles’ playmaking duties with his team-highs of 31 points and 21 assists. John Tavares should also be a terror on the ice with 15 goals and 15 assists of his own.
Tavares will be the Islanders’ leader on the ice in this upcoming game against their Big Apple rivals, as he’s played extremely well against the Rangers in his career. He has scored 29 points (12 goals and 17 assists) in 32 career games against the Rangers. Tavares had already scored against the Rangers this season as well, netting a power-play goal in the second period of a 2-1 shootout win on December 2.
Helping the Islanders in toppling the Rangers would be goalie Jaroslav Halak. The Isles’ goaltender has been pretty good against the Rangers in his career, going 11-6 with a 2.52 GAA and .921 save percentage, and stopped 33 of 34 shots in December 2’s shootout victory over the Rangers.
The Islanders have lost seven of their last 10 home games against the Rangers.
Writer’s Prediction
The Rangers take a big win over their Metropolitan Division rivals.
