The Rangers emerged victorious in the 2026-27 NHL season's first Battle of New York, beating division rival Islanders, 5-2, behind a hat trick from Alexis Lafreniere and a two-goal outing from right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand. The win marked their fourth straight.
Here are some takeaways...
— The Rangers didn't land a single shot on goal until almost seven minutes into the game, but when they finally did, they made it count. After chasing the puck-wielding sophomore Islanders defender Matthew Schafer into the boards,Lafrenierelost his balance, but not before managing to slide the puck backward as Bjorkstrand calmlyskated into the right dot. Bjorkstrand reacted instantly, scooping up the pass and rifling a shot above Isles goalie Semoyn Varlamov's left shoulder, giving the home team the early lead with his first goal as a Ranger.
— The first period wound down without another score, marking the fifth straight game in which the Rangers have not allowed a first-period goal, but it was far from quiet. The rivals combined for five penalties across the latter 13 minutes of the frame, including matching penalties for fighting drawn by Rangers captain J.T. Miller and Islander Brayden Schenn. In the final two minutes of the game, Islander Simon Holstrom was helped off the ice after taking a puck to the face on a shot from Sean Durzi.
— The Rangers got off to a much faster start in the second, doubling their lead just 25 seconds into the middle period as Lafreniere sent the puck bardown, but the Islanders retaliated soon after, evening the score with two quick tallies of their own.
The Islanders first found the back of the net on their fourth power play of the evening. Captain Bo Horvat caught a cross-ice pass sent by Matias Maccelli through traffic and smoothly shoved it in top shelf. Two minutes later, Schenn sent a pass through traffic to the slot, where 21-year-old Calum Ritchier waited unprotected. Ritchie dragged the puck toward the net, drew Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin out of the net, then slid the puck behind a sprawling Shesterkin's skate to bring the Islanders up to speed.
— The Blueshirts ended the period with a one-goal edge thanks, once again, to Bjorkstrand, who received a cross-ice pass from Gabe Perreault in the waning seconds of a power play and walked it two strides toward the net before letting loose for his second of the night. The outing marks Bjorkstrand's 22nd-career multi-goal game.
— Lafreniere scored the game's only third-period goals, finding the empty net twice in the final two minutes of the contest for his third career hat trick.
— Just three days after making his AHL debut, twenty-year-old center Cole Beaudoin skated in his first NHL contest Tuesday night after the Rangers placed Joseph Veleno, who sustained a lower-body injury in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth, on injured reserve Tuesday afternoon. Beaudoin finished the game without a point but with a plus-1 rating, one block, and three hits. He won an even 50 percent of his faceoffs, tied for third-best on the team with Noah Laba.
The Rangers acquired Beaudoin, along with 27-year-old bluelinerDurziand a 2027 third-round draft pick, in the trade that sent veteran center Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth. He began the season with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers' AHL affiliate, and quickly found his stride. Across his two games in Hartford, Beaudoin contributed to more than half of the Wolf Pack's eight goals so far this season, recording a team-leading five points (1 goal, four assists) and propelling them to the top of the Atlantic Division (though they're knotted with the Springfield Thunderbirds, who are also 2-0).
— Making his first NHL appearance in 676 days, Varlamovmade 19 stops on 22 shots in the loss.
The 38-year-old missed most of the 2024-25 campaign and all of last year due to two partial knee replacements in November 2024 and 22 months of extensive rehab. Heading into the matchup, Varlamov was 5-1-0 with the Islanders at MSG, posting a .950 save percentage, a 1.55 goals-against average, and four shutouts. He's now 10-4-1 in the arena across his 18 years as an NHL goalie.
— Shesterkin finished the game with an .895 save percentage.
—The rivals next go head-to-head Dec. 20, this time in Isles territory at UBS Arena.
Highlights
What's next
The Rangers get two days off before facing the Washington Capitals on the road Friday at 7 p.m. The Islanders are set to host the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday at 7:30.
