EAST RUTHERFORD – The second and final game of the 2024 NHL Stadium Series is on tap Sunday, with the New York rivalry between the Rangers and Islanders taking center stage at MetLife Stadium.
The Blueshirts enter as winners of six straight, with a four-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Metro Division. The Isles are in a much more desperate position, sitting five points out of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot. They’ve gone 3-3-2 since Patrick Roy took over as head coach last month and must pick it up soon to close that gap.
This will be their first head-to-head matchup in over a year − dating back to Dec. 22, 2022 − and will begin a stretch of four meetings in the next 55 days.
“It’s a long-standing rivalry, where, I think, two teams play hard against each other,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “I would expect it to be the same today.”
Stadium Series: One question for Rangers, Devils, Islanders and Flyers
The Rangers enter 4-0 all-time in outdoor games, with a chance to become the first team in the league’s history to win five. Meanwhile, this will be just the second outdoor appearance in Isles’ franchise history, with the first coming in a 2-1 loss to the Blueshirts at Yankee Stadium on Jan. 29, 2014.
We’ll document the latest chapter in this rivalry with live updates right here, so check back on this page throughout the game.
Live updates
UPDATE, 6:38 p.m. − Panarin ends it 10 seconds into overtime. Wow. Rangers win, 6-5.
UPDATE, 6:35 p.m. − Mika Zibanejad just sent this crowd of 79,690 into a frenzy. He scored a power-play goal to tie the score at 5-5 with 1:29 remaining, blasting a tough-angle one-timer off a feed from Adam Fox.
The PPG was the result of Scott Mayfield’s third penalty of the game, with Laviolette once again pulling his goalie to give the Rangers a six-on-four advantage.
UPDATE, 6:27 p.m. − Kreider nets a power-play goal by tipping a shot from Panarin to cut the Rangers’ deficit to 5-4 with 4:08 to play. Laviolette pulled Shesterkin to give the Rangers an extra skater, with the move paying off.
UPDATE, 6:00 p.m. − A deflating start to the third period for the Rangers.
Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov accidentally hit Ryan Lindgren in the face with his stick while following through on a pass (which is not a penalty), leaving the Blueshirts shorthanded with Lindgren crumpled on the ice. Romanov took advantage by cutting to the net and cleaning up a tipped pass from Noah Dobson to up the Isles’ lead to 5-3 with 18:07 to play.
Lindgren, who appeared to have a cut on his face, headed to the locker room and has yet to return.
The Blueshirts were better in that period, although they’re still giving up a lot of chances and zone time. The Isles are already up to 35 shots, with 18 in the first period and another 17 in the second.
UPDATE, 5:03 p.m. − The Rangers have cut the deficit to 4-2 on a power-play goal from Vincent Trocheck, who seemed to inadvertently tip a wrist shot from Artemi Panarin. The redirection gives the Blueshirts their second PPG in the last nine games (2-for-23 in that span) and pulls them back within striking distance with well over half the game to play.
UPDATE, 4:55 p.m. − So much for regrouping. Chris Kreider was called for hooking 34 seconds into the second period, and the Isles capitalized. Andres Lee tipped in a shot from Pierre Engvall for a power-play goal and it’s 4-1.
UPDATE, 4:35 p.m. − We’ve reached first intermission, with the Islanders firmly in control with a 3-1 lead.
If not for the Gustafsson goal, that period would have been a total disaster for the Rangers. They were outshot, 18-7, while losing the high-danger scoring chance battle by a 7-1 margin, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Isles were swarming, looking every bit the part of the more desperate team. Meanwhile, the Blueshirts reverted back to some of the defensive issues that got them in trouble during their two-month rough patch in December and January. They were vulnerable off the rush, shaky with their net-front protection and unsteady in goal. They also lost 75% of their faceoffs (6-for-24), which tilted the possession arrow far in the Isles’ favor.
The only good news is that they have two periods left to regroup and chip away at their two-goal deficit. But they’ve got a lot to clean up.
UPDATE, 4:05 p.m. − If your head is spinning, you’re not alone.
The Isles just scored three goals in a span of 3:14, with Brock Nelson, Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal responsible for the damage.
The Rangers have been far too loose defensively, with Igor Shesterkin facing nine shots in the opening 7:34. The goalie hasn’t been particularly sharp, either, especially on the Horvat goal, which beat him under his right arm.
The result is a 3-1 lead for the Islanders.
UPDATE, 3:55 p.m. − Rempe began his first NHL shift with a bang. As soon as the puck was dropped for the faceoff, the 21-year-old rookie dropped the gloves with Isles veteran Matt Martin.
Rempe more than held his own, then waved his arms to pump up the crowd on his way to the penalty box. I asked him the other day about the possibility of a fight in his debut, to which he responded, “If something like that presents itself, I’ll be ready to go.”
UPDATE, 3:50 p.m. − Erik Gustafsson gets the Rangers off to a fast start with a long slap shot from well above the right circle that gives them a 1-0 lead just 1:28 into this game. His fifth goal of the season was setup by an off-the-wall pass from Kaapo Kakko, who is now riding a four-game point streak.
UPDATE, 1:30 p.m. − Due to the glare on the ice, word is that the start time for this afternoon’s game has been pushed back to 3:47 p.m. (I guess they didn’t anticipate, you know, the sun?)
It’s a bright, beautiful day in East Rutherford, but it’s chilly. Temperatures are reading 39 degrees, but wind gusts are up to 31 mph. If you’re in the stands, make sure to bundle up.
UPDATE, 1 p.m. − Laviolette confirmed pregame that 6-foot-8 prospect Matt Rempe will become the first player in league history to make his NHL debut in an outdoor game. Making the day even more special will be the opportunity to honor his late father, Ron, who tragically died from a heart attack six years ago today.
“It’d be a really emotional day in front of my family,” Rempe told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. “He was my best buddy.”
Rempe will skate on the fourth line with Barclay Goodrow and fellow rookie Adam Edström, who stands at 6-foot-7.
“They’re here for a reason,” Goodrow said pregame. “They bring an element to the game, and I’m looking forward to playing with them. I never thought I’d be on the line where I’m the shortest guy by five inches, but it’s going to be fun. I’ve enjoyed playing with Eddy, and Remps playing his first game tonight, I know he’ll be flying around.”
UPDATE, 12:30 p.m. − Both teams arrived at MetLife accompanied by the Fire and Police Departments of New York, with the Rangers donning FDNY and NYPD hockey jerseys. It was apparently an arrangement that began with a conversation between the captains of both teams, Jacob Trouba and Anders Lee. A nice touch to honor the area’s bravest.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
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