Islanders Top Rangers For 11th Win In Past 12 Meetings
NEW YORK (AP) — Thomas Hickey and Anthony Beauvillier scored 2:32 apart in the second period and the New York Islanders kept up their recent mastery of the Rangers with a 2-1 victory over their crosstown rivals Thursday night.
Jaroslav Halak stopped 34 shots as the Islanders won for the 11th time in the past 12 meetings with the Rangers.
They swept the four-game season series for the second time in the past three seasons, after never previously doing it since joining the NHL in 1972.
The Islanders are also 6-0-0 at home against the Rangers since moving to Barclays Center in 2015.
Kevin Hayes scored and Ondrej Pavelec finished with 20 saves for the Rangers, who lost for the eighth time in 10 games (2-6-2).
The Islanders played their last home game of the season, and with captain John Tavares set to be a free agent this summer, this could have been the last time he played in New York in an Islanders uniform. Tavares has said he hopes to return but is uncertain of what will happen.
The game seemed to lack the intensity of previous matchups in recent years as this is the first time since 2010 — and just the second since 2001 — that neither team will be in the postseason.
The Rangers will miss out for the first time since that 2009-10 season, and second since the lockout wiped out the 2004-05 campaign.
The Islanders, who won for the fourth time in the past nine overall but just the fifth in 20 (5-12-4), are missing the playoffs for the second straight year, and eighth in the past 11.
The Islanders trailed 1-0 after one period and were outshot 13-5 in the second, but scored twice to take the lead.
Hickey tied it on a one-timer off a pass from Mathew Barzal as his shot from the left point deflected off a Rangers player and past Pavelec at 4:55.
Beauvillier put the Islanders ahead on a give-and-go with Andrew Ladd, one-timing the return pass past Pavelec from the right side for his 21st at 7:27. It gave the second-year forward a goal in five straight games and seven of the past eight.
The Rangers got on the scoreboard on a power play 4½ minutes into the game. Brady Skjei's one-timer went over the net, bounced off the glass to Hayes on the left side and he quickly put it in for his 25th before Halak could slide over. It gave Hayes a point (four goals, one assist) in five straight games.
Coming in last in the league on the penalty kill, the Islanders gave up a power-play goal for the eighth straight game.
NOTES: Barzal got his 61st assist, moving one away from tying Sergei Makarov (62 for Calgary in 1989-90) for third by a rookie since the 1983-84 season. Joe Juneau leads that list with 70 for Boston in 1992-93, followed by Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby with 63 in 2005-06. Barzal is also two away from tying Bryan Trottier for the Islanders' rookie mark set in 1975-76. ... Anders Lee was initially given credit for Hickey's goal, but it was later changed. That kept Lee one away from becoming the first Islanders player to have 40 since Jason Blake in 2006-07. ... Barzal has 10 goals and 14 points in his past 12 games. ... Beauvillier has seven goals and 11 points in his past eight games. ... Hayes increased his totals to 15 goals and 26 points in 32 games since returning from an injury Jan. 25. ... Rangers coach Alain Vigneault remained tied with Ron Wilson for 10th place on the career wins list at 648.
UP NEXT
Rangers: At Philadelphia on Saturday in the season finale.
Islanders: At Detroit on Saturday night in the season finale.
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