Ondrej Palat opened the scoring in his first game for the host New York Islanders to give his new team a lead it never relinquished Wednesday night in a 5-2 win over the undermanned New York Rangers in Elmont, N.Y.
Palat, who was acquired along with two draft picks from the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday in exchange for right winger Maxim Tsyplakov, also had an assist for the Islanders, who have outscored the Rangers 12-2 while going 3-0-0 against their rivals this season. The teams conclude their season series Thursday night in Manhattan.
Simon Holmstrom, Mathew Barzal, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Emil Heineman also scored for the Islanders, who have won two straight following a 2-4-0 stretch. Goalie David Rittich made 14 saves.
Mika Zibanejad and Taylor Raddysh scored for the reeling Rangers, who scratched leading scorer Artemi Panarin, a pending unrestricted free agent, due to “roster management.” Newsday reported Panarin will not play for the Rangers before the Olympic break begins Feb. 6.
The Rangers, who have lost 13 of 17 (4-11-2) to fall into last place in the Eastern Conference, began their retool by trading defenseman Carson Soucy to the Islanders on Monday, completing only the fourth trade ever between the rivals. Soucy was scoreless in 16:38 in his Islanders debut Wednesday.
Rangers goalie Spencer Martin recorded 31 saves.
Palat scored on the power play with 5:01 left in the first when his shot from the slot sailed past Martin as he was screened by teammate Will Borgen.
Holmstrom doubled the lead just 1:11 later when Tony DeAngelo’s shot from the high slot glanced off his skate as he jostled for position with Borgen.
Zibanejad’s power-play goal cut the gap in half with 1:56 remaining in the first, but Barzal scored with 29 seconds left in a four-minute power play to give the Islanders a 3-1 lead at 13:12 of the second.
Barzal’s goal was still being announced 47 seconds later when Pageau’s second attempt to bury the rebound of Marc Gatcomb’s shot trickled under Martin’s legs.
Raddysh scored following a turnover deep in the Islanders’ zone with 4:18 left in the second before Heineman put the hosts ahead 5-2 with 46.6 seconds remaining in the period.
–Field Level Media
