Rangers at Islanders
THE STORY: The New York Rangers look to continue their recent dominance over the host New York Islanders on Friday night. The Rangers are seeking a fourth straight win against the Islanders in the fifth of six meetings between the clubs this season. The Rangers have outscored the Islanders 11-4 in the last three meetings after dropping the opener of the season series on Oct. 15. The Rangers are playing the first game of a back-to-back. They host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG, MSG-Plus 2
ABOUT THE RANGERS (38-15-5): The Rangers have lost two of three and are in danger of dropping three of four contests for the first time since October. New York has a seven-point lead over the Boston Bruins for the top spot in the Eastern Conference despite its recent skid. The Rangers have posted a 14-4-1 record in their last 19 games on the road. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is continuing his bid for the Vezina Trophy. He’s 8-2 with a 1.29 goals-against average and has a .953 save percentage in his last 10 games.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (25-27-8): TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported Wednesday that Islanders general manager Garth Snow and goaltender Evgeni Nabokov’s agent have been discussing a new contract. Nabokov hasn’t played since Feb. 14 because of the flu. He has recovered and should start in goal Friday. The team has dropped two straight by a combined 8-1 score in Nabokov’s absence. The Islanders hit the road for four tough games against Ottawa, Washington, Philadelphia and Boston after Friday’s tilt with the Rangers.
OVERTIME:
1. Matt Moulson and John Tavares have both collected five points in four games vs. the Rangers this season.
2. Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic will return to the lineup Friday after sitting out since Feb. 4 with a broken nose.
3. The Rangers have the highest point percentage in the league (.698).