Islanders at Rangers
The New York Islanders and the host New York Rangers will be making up for lost time as they play the first of three games in nine days against each other on Monday at Madison Square Garden. The Islanders enter the tilt on a three-game point streak (2-0-1), while the Rangers have won four in a row at home entering a stretch of eight of 10 contests at MSG.
Mathew Barzal, who leads the Islanders in goals (17) and assists (20), had one of each on Saturday before Boston's Patrice Bergeron spoiled his night by scoring on the power play in overtime. The 22-year-old Barzal has recorded 10 multi-point performances this season and had one against the Rangers in 2018-19 after scoring a goal and setting up two others in the Islanders' 4-3 victory on Jan. 10, 2019. Artemi Panarin, who is new to this rivalry after signing with the Rangers in July, carries a three-game assist streak into Monday's contest after setting up Filip Chytil's goal in the first period of a 5-2 setback in St. Louis on Saturday. The 28-year-old Panarin leads the team in goals (24), assists (38) and points (62) - with 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) coming in his past eight games.
TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: MSG Plus, MSG
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (27-12-4): Anthony Beauvillier hopes the sight of the Rangers will serve to ignite his offense, as the 22-year-old has been held off the scoresheet in five straight games and owns just one point - an assist - over his last 11. Beauvillier recorded his first hat trick and a career-high four-point performance in a 7-5 victory versus the Rangers on Nov. 15, 2018. Like Beauvillier, Brock Nelson also has struggled at the offensive end, as he has been held off the scoresheet in four straight games and resides two goals shy of Barzal for the team lead.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (21-19-4): Panarin has collected 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 12 career encounters versus the Islanders, highlighted by a trio of three-point performances. Chytil and Chris Kreider each scored three goals and set up another as the Rangers split four meetings with the Islanders last season. Fellow forward Mika Zibanejad matched their four-point performance in the series with four assists.
OVERTIME
1. The Rangers have won eight of their last nine games against Metropolitan Division teams.
2. The Islanders are 0-for-13 on the power play in the last nine contests.
3. Rangers D Jacob Trouba was fined $5,000 by the NHL for slashing St. Louis D Vince Dunn, the league announced Sunday.