NEW YORK ISLANDERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
DATE NYI RESULT SCORE NYI SCORERS IN GOAL
Mon., Dec. 19, 2022 SO Loss COL 1 vs. NYI 0 None Sorokin (46/46)
Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin posted 46 saves to record his 13th career shutout, but the New York Islanders fell to the Colorado Avalance, 1-0, in a shootout loss on Monday night at Ball Arena in Denver. Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson led the Islanders with five shots on goal and 26:35 TOI as the Islanders finish their season series against Colorado with a 1-0-1 record.

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Tonight, the New York Islanders visit the New York Rangers in the third and final matchup between the two clubs this season. The last time these teams met was November 8 at Madison Square Garden, when Adam Pelech, Brock Nelson and Anders Lee scored three unanswered goals in the third period to earn a 4-3 comeback victory. The Islanders enter tonight’s game with four wins in their last five meetings with the Rangers and are 6-1-0 at MSG since the beginning of the 2021 season. They begin their seventh back-to-back series tonight, and return home tomorrow to host the Florida Panthers.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Dec. 21 Cal Clutterbuck has been placed on IR (retroactive to Dec. 16).
Dec. 18 Cory Schneider has been emergency recalled from loan (Bridgeport).
Dec. 17 Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Palmieri are both day to day with upper body injuries.
Dec. 16 Kyle Palmieri has been activated off the team’s IR list.
Dec. 15 Adam Pelech has been placed on IR (retroactive Dec. 6).
Dec. 4 Robin Salo has been recalled from Bridgeport (AHL).

INJURIES GAMES MISSED

3 Adam Pelech Dec. 9 –

12 Josh Bailey Nov. 29

15 Cal Clutterbuck Oct. 13, Nov. 8, Dec. 2- Dec. 6, Dec. 17

18 Anthony Beauvillier Dec. 10 – Dec. 13

21 Kyle Palmieri Nov. 23 – Dec. 13, Dec. 17

25 Sebastian Aho Oct. 13 – Oct. 20

26 Oliver Wahlstrom Oct. 13

40 Semyon Varlamov Dec. 19

Man Games Lost: 34

RECENT RESULTS
Monday. Dec. 19 at Colorado L/SO (1-0)
Saturday, Dec. 17 at Vegas W (5-2)
Friday, Dec. 16 at Arizona L (5-4)
Tuesday, Dec. 13 at Boston L/SO (4-3)
Saturday, Dec. 10 vs. Carolina L (3-0)

UPCOMING GAMES
Dec. 23 vs. Florida UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:30pm
Dec. 27 vs. Pittsburgh UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:30pm
Dec. 29 vs. Columbus UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:30pm
Jan. 1 at Seattle Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle, WA) 8:00pm
Jan. 3 at Vancouver Rogers Arena (Vancouver, BC) 10:00pm

SEASON SERIES
DATE LOCATION TIME
Oct. 26, 2022 UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:30pm
Nov. 8, 2022 Madison Sq. Garden (New York, NY) 7:00pm
Dec. 22, 2022 Madison Sq. Garden (New York, NY) 7:00pm

LAST FIVE MEETINGS AGAINST NY RANGERS:
Nov. 8, 2022 Madison Sq. Garden (New York, NY) Win (4-3)
Oct. 26, 2022 UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) Win (3-0)
Apr. 21, 2022 UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) Loss (6-3)
Apr. 1, 2022 Madison Sq. Garden (New York, NY) Win (3-0)
Mar. 17, 2022 Madiosn Sq. Garden (New York, NY) Win (2-1)

vs. THE RANGERS:
2022-23 2-0-0
Last 5 meetings 4-1-0
Franchise History 135-127-19-7
NYI Home 76-55-8-5
NYI Away 59-72-11-2

TEAM NOTES
VISITING THE RANGERS
Tonight, the New York Islanders visit Metropolitan Division rival, New York Rangers, for the third and final time this season. The Islanders captured victories in each of the first two meetings between the two teams this season, including a 3-0 victory at UBS Arena on October 26, and a 4-3 decision at Madison Square Garden on November 8. It will be the 289th meeting between the Islanders and Rangers in NHL history. The Islanders begin their seventh of 14 back-to-back series they will play this season, and their third this month. The Islanders have won each of their last five games at Madison Square Garden, and have a 6-1-0 record on MSG ice since the beginning of the 2020-21 season. The last time the Islanders visited the Garden was November 8, when Adam Pelech, Anders Lee and Brock Nelson scored three straight to help the Islanders mount a 4-3 comeback win. Islanders forward Zach Parise leads active Islanders in career points against the Rangers, with 45 (18 goals, 27 assists) in 53 career games against them. The last time these teams met, Parise tallied two assists to help the Islanders earn a 4-3 comeback victory at MSG. Parise’s 18 goals are tied with Steven Stamkos for fifth among active NHLers against the Rangers. The 38-year-old tallied a goal and an assist in the Islanders’ last win, December 17 in Las Vegas. Mathew Barzal has recorded more points against the Rangers than any other team he has faced in his career, tallying 31 (eight goals, 23 assists) in 26 matchups. The 25-year-old has found the scoresheet in his last five straight games against the Rangers (one goal, five assists).

SOROKIN
Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin earned his third shutout of the season and 13th of his career on Monday night, when the Islanders fell in a 1-0 shootout decision to the Colorado Avalanche. It was the Islanders’ fourth team shutout of the sesaon, leading the NHL. Sorokin turned away all 46 shots he faced, the second-most he has made in a single contest this season (49, November 23). It was the fourth time this season he has made more than 40 saves. The Mezhdurechensk, RUS native’s 46 saves on Monday tie Steve Mason (Philadelphia, November 14, 2014) for the most saves by a goaltender in a 1-0 shootout loss in NHL history. Sorokin leads all NHL netminders in shutouts since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, with 10. Sorokin enters tonight’s matchup with a 3-1-0 record against the New York Rangers. The last time Sorokin faced the Rangers was October 26, when he made 41 saves on 41 shots faced to record his first shutout of the 2022-23 campaign.

SHOOTOUT
Monday night in Denver, the Islanders fell to the Colorado Avalanche, 1-0, in their second shootout in their last four games. It was their first 1-0 loss since November 26, 2021 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and it was their first 1-0 shootout loss since April 22, 2021 against the Washington Capitals. It was only the fifth time in franchise history that the Islanders brought a scoreless game to the shootout. They are 2-3 in 1-0 shootout decisions in club history.

18

Islanders forward Anthony Beauvillier scored his sixth goal of the season Friday night against the Arizona Coyotes. Beauvillier is one goal shy of his career 100th, and he would become the 11th player from his 2015 NHL Draft class to reach the milestone. A native of Sorel-Tracy, QC, Beauvillier has recorded more points against the Rangers than any other opponent he has faced in his career, by a ten-point margin. Beauvillier has 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 26 career matchups against the Rangers.

ON THE ROAD
Tonight’s matchup is the fifth in a five-game road trip for the Islanders, the longest in their schedule this season. They are 1-1-2 on the trip so far. Following tonight’s game, the Islanders return home to host the Florida Panthers before the three day Christmas break. The Islanders enter tonight’s matchup with a 9-7-2 record on the road, and look to earn their tenth road win of the season. Last year, the Islanders did not earn their ninth road win until February 22nd (at Seattle), and they did not earn their tenth road win until February 27th (at Anaheim).

DOBSON
Islanders defensemen have scored a league-high 23 goals so far this season. Noah Dobson, who leads Islanders defensemen in goals (10) and points (21) has found the back of the net three times in his last seven games. Monday night in Colorado, Dobson led the Islanders with five shots on goal and skated a career-high 26:35 TOI. It is the most an Islander has skated in single contest since Ryan Pulock (29:00) on November 25, 2018. Friday night against Arizona, Dobson scored his tenth goal of the season, tying Rasmus Dahlin for second-most amongst all NHL defensemen. Dobson enters tonight’s game seven points shy of his career 100th. Dobson is tied with Anders Lee and Zach Parise for second-most goals on the Islanders, behind Brock Nelson’s 15 tallies. Dobson is also one of just two Islander defensemen in franchise history to record 27 goals before their 23rd birthday (joining Denis Potvin). Dobson is three goals shy of his career-best, 13, set last season.

OPENING THE SCORE
The Islanders have opened the score in seven of their last eight victories, dating back to November 14 in Ottawa. This season, they are 12-3-0 when scoring the first goal, and eight of the Islanders’ nine road victories so far this season have seen them score first. Saturday night in Las Vegas, their last road win, Islanders captain Anders Lee opened the score, with 1:02 remaining in the first frame.

FIRSTS AND SECONDS
Saturday night against Vegas, Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom scored his first career NHL goal in his 11th career game. He became the first Islander since Cole Bardreau (Nov. 5, 2019) to tally the eventual game-winner with his first NHL goal. Holmstrom is the 389th Islander in club history to record a goal, and he is the Islanders’ lone NHL debutante so far this season. Hudson Fasching scored his second goal of the season in the Islanders’ last win on Saturday night, and the third of his NHL career. Fasching scored his first of the season on December 6 vs. St Louis, ending a 38-game drought. Fasching had not scored since his first NHL goal in his first NHL game, March 26, 2016 vs. the Winnipeg Jets.

ASSISTS LEADER
Mathew Barzal leads the Islanders in assists, with 27 through 31 games this season. Entering tonight’s matchup, Barzal’s 27 assists are seventh-most in the league (tied with three other skaters). The 25-year-old is second on the team in points, with 31. Amongst Metropolitan Division skaters, only Artemi Panarin (32) and Adam Fox (27) have as many assists as Barzal so far this season.

POINTS LEADER
Brock Nelson leads the Islanders in goals (15) and points (33), and is second on the team in assists (18). Nelson also leads the Islanders in game-winners (5) and is one of just seven NHLers to tally five GWGs so far this seasonn. Five GWGs also matched Nelson’s single-season career-high, which he first recorded during the 2019-20 season, and again in 2021-22.

NEW YORK RANGERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Pittsburgh Penguins 3, New York Rangers 2 – December 20, 2022 – PPG Paints Arena
NYR Goals: C. Kreider (15, 16)
PIT Goals: E. Malkin (11), B. Rust (8), S. Crosby (18)
NYR Goalie: I. Shesterkin (L – 21/24)
PIT Goalie: T. Jarry (W – 26/28)
NYR Shots: 28
PIT Shots: 24
NYR PP: 0/3
NYR PK: 1/3

RECAP/NOTES: The Rangers saw their seven-game win streak snapped in the road trip finale against the Penguins. Chris Kreider scored both goals for the Rangers while Vincent Trocheck notched his first multi-point game in his hometown of Pittsburgh. The Blueshirts opened the scoring 22 seconds into the game, their fastest goal to start a game since Adam Fox’s tally 19 seconds in against Dallas on March 10, 2020.

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The New York Rangers play once more before the Holiday Break when the New York Islanders come to Madison Square Garden (7:00 PM ET – TV: MSG Network – Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). Tonight is the regular season-finale between the two clubs.
• The Blueshirts have won seven of their last eight games and are 8-2-1 over their last 11 games. Since December 5, the Rangers rank tied for first in wins (7), tied for first in goals (34), second in PP% (40%), and fifth in GA/GP (2.13).
• Tonight is the second of three-straight games the Rangers will play against Metropolitan Division opponents and the second of eight-straight the team will play against a team from the Eastern Conference. The next game New York will play from a team in the Western Conference is Minnesota on January 10. The next time the Blueshirts travel to a Western Conference city is February 15 against Vancouver.
• New York’s seven occurrences of six or more goals this year are the second most in the NHL (BUF – 8). Their three games with seven or more goals this season are tied for the most in the league, also with Buffalo.
• The Rangers defensemen group has collected 81 points and 64 assists, both the fourth most in the NHL. New York’s 17 goals by defensemen are tied for the sixth most.
• The Blueshirts have 10 players with five goals this season, tied for the second most amount in the NHL. Five Rangers have 25 or more points this year (Zibanejad, Fox, Panarin, Kreider, Trocheck), tied for the most in the NHL.
• The Rangers’ plus-11 goal differential in the third period is tied for the fifth highest in the NHL.
• New York ranks third in the NHL in hits with 952.

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES ET)
DATE/TIME OPPONENT/LOCATION TV RADIO
Dec. 27/7:00 PM Washington/MSG MSG 2 ESPN 1050 AM
Dec. 29/7:00 PM Tampa Bay/Amalie Arena MSG 2 ESPN 1050 AM
Jan. 1/5:00 PM Florida/FLA Live Arena MSG Network/NHLN TBD
Jan. 3/7:00 PM Carolina/MSG MSG Network TBD
Jan. 5/7:00 PM Montreal/Bell Centre MSG Network TBD

LAST FIVE GAMES
DATE OPPONENT RESULT
Dec. 20 at Pittsburgh X, X-X
Dec. 18 at Chicago W, 7-1
Dec. 17 at Philadelphia W, 6-3
Dec. 15 Toronto W, 3-1
Dec. 12 New Jersey OTW, 4-3

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
December 9 – Ryan Carpenter re-assigned to Hartford.
December 5 – Jonny Brodzinski recalled from Hartford
December 4 – Jonny Brodzinski re-assigned to Hartford.
December 3 – Recalled Ben Harpur and Jonny Brodzinski from Hartford. Re-assigned Zac Jones to Hartford.
November 23 – Acquired fifth round pick in 2025 NHL Draft in exchange for Ryan Reaves

ALL-TIME RECORD 134-125-19-10 (297 PTS)
2022-23 0-2-0
2021-22 2-2-0
NYR HOME 74-53-11-6 (165 PTS)
NYR AWAY 60-72-8-4 (132 PTS)
LAST FIVE MEETINGS 1-4-0
LEADING SCORER(S) – CURRENT RANGERS IN CAREER G: Kreider (15) – A: Panarin (23) – Pts: Panarin (33)
LEADING SCORER(S) – ALL-TIME IN GAMES W/NYR G: Leetch (23) – A: Leetch (49) – Pts: Leetch (72)

2022-23 SEASON SERIES
October 26 at UBS Arena L, 3-0
November 8 at MSG L, 4-3
December 22 at MSG 7:00 PM ET

TEAM NOTES
TROCHECK-ING THE BOX SCORE
Vincent Trocheck has a point streak of five games (2G-7A), has three multi-point performances in his last four games, and has 12 points (3G-9A) in his last eight games. It is the ninth time in his career he has posted a point-streak of five or more games. His career-high streak was 13 games during the 2020-21 season. Trocheck’s seven power play goals are the second most on the Rangers while his 27 points (11G-16A) are the fourth most on the team. This is the third time in his career that Trocheck has recorded 27 or more points through the first 34 games of a season (2016-17 – 34 PTS, 2020-21 – 37 PTS). Trocheck is one of only two NHL players who have registered 25+ points and 80+ hits this season (along with Alex Ovechkin). In 31 of 34 games this season, Trocheck has had either 1+ points, 3+ hits, or a 50.0%+ faceoff win percentage; he has hit two of the three categories in 19 of the 34 games, and he hit all three categories in the same game three times (Dec. 15 vs. TOR, Dec. 5 vs. STL, Nov. 8 vs. NYI).

SHESTERKIN IN NET
Igor Shesterkin is 16-5-4 on the season, his 16 wins are tied for the second most in the NHL. Shesterkin is 6-1-1 in his last eight starts with a .928 save percentage and 2.08 GAA. Shesterkin has allowed one goal or fewer in four of his last six games.

KREIDING TO MAKE HISTORY
Chris Kreider has 16 goals on the year, two in his last game, and has nine in his last 15 games. Kreider is one goal from tying Steve Vickers for the eighth most in Rangers history.

MOST GOALS IN RANGERS HISTORY
RANK PLAYER GOALS
6th Camille Henry 256
7th Mark Messier 250
8th Steve Vickers 246
9th Chris Kreider 245

In the calendar year 2022, Kreider has scored 49 goals, the eighth most in the NHL in that span and two behind Mike Gartner (51) for the most in franchise history. In addition, Kreider has 36 career game-winning goals, tying him with Adam Graves for the seventh most in franchise history.

PANARIN PUTTING UP POINTS
Artemi Panarin has points in eight of his last 10 games (2G-13A) and multi-point games in five of his last nine contests. Panarin has points in 11 of his last 14 games (3G-15A), 28 points in his last 26 games (4G-24A) and 40 points (8G-32A) in 34 games this season.

MOST ASSISTS IN THE NHL PLAYER ASSISTS
Connor McDavid 36
Nikita Kucherov 36
Leon Draisaitl 34
Artemi Panarin 32
Josh Morrissey 32
Since December 2, Panarin’s 13 assists are tied for the most in the NHL.

MIKA’S MISSION
On Sunday, Mika Zibanejad recorded his 400th point with the Rangers in his 437th game with the club. He required the fifth-fewest games to reach the mark with the franchise, behind Mark Messier (322 GP), Brian Leetch (380 GP), Phil Esposito (405 GP) and Andy Bathgate (423 GP). He has points in nine of his last 12 games (5G-9A), 14 of his last 18 games (6G-13A) and in 21 of his last 26 contests (11G-18A).

WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?
Adam Fox has seven goals and 27 assists for 32 points this season. He has points in six of his last 10 games (1G-8A), eight of his last 13 games (1G-10A), 10 of his last 16 games (2G-12A), and 17 of his last 23 games (5G-20A). Fox has recorded at least one point in 23 of 34 games this year. Fox has tallied three three-assist game of the season, the most among all defensemen in the NHL. His 34 multi-assist games since 2019-20 are the second most in the league (Roman Josi – 39). When Fox records multiple points, the Rangers are 7-0-0. Fox has skated over 20:00 minutes in every game this season, over 25 minutes in 16 contests and his season-high was 30:04 against the Devils on Nov. 28.

FOX AMONG NHL D-MEN RANKS THIS SEASON CATEGORY D-MEN RANK
Goals T-6th (7)
Assists T-3rd (27)
Points 4th (34)

Game-Winning Goals T-2nd (3)
Total TOI 3rd (847:41)
Takeaways 2nd (31)

BLUESHIRT BULLETS

• Braden Schneider’s four goals since November 22 are tied for the most among NHL defensemen in that span.
• Jacob Trouba has 107 hits and 84 blocked shots. He is the only player in the NHL with both 100+ hits and 75+ blocked shots. Trouba ranks seventh in the NHL in hits and second in blocked shots.
• K’Andre Miller has points in five of his last eight games (2G-5A). Miller’s 28 takeaways this year are tied for the third most for a defensemen.
• Sammy Blais ranks third in the NHL (min. 25 games played) in hits per 60 (20.19).
• Among players who have skated in 20 games this year, Julien Gauthier ranks tied for second in penalties drawn/60 (2.65).
• Filip Chytil has four goals in his last seven games and has compiled six points (4G-2A) in those seven games.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• The Blueshirts have scored on the power play in six of their last nine games and seven of their last 12 contests.
• The Rangers’ penalty kill has been perfect in their four of their last five games.