Goaltending Duel Decides Battle of New York as Islanders Blank Rangers
The latest chapter of the battle for New York is in the books, and unlike the last chapter, this one stayed close to the end. The Islanders may have lost their star goaltender, Ilya Sorokin, but their backup had no problem keeping his team in this one. The Rangers may have been hungry, but David Rittich was a brick wall until the very end. A goaltending battle for the ages as Rittich stood tall and carried the New York Islanders to a 2-0 shutout victory against the New York Rangers, claiming New York once again.
The puck dropped, and the Islanders wasted no time whatsoever getting this game started. Who better to get it started than the captain, Anders Lee, picking up a rebound and making it 1-0 Islanders 58 seconds in. Already off to a strong start, the Rangers couldn't seem to find their footing to start this game. Held off from a shot for the first 11 minutes, the Rangers needed some way to get going. As the Rangers found their first shot, they seemed to pick it up a bit, at last turning this game into what fans imagined. With the pace picking up, the Islanders remained the hungry team of the period. Rangers had some fire as the seconds went off, but the Islanders took the 1-0 lead in the second.
The second period began, and the Rangers looked to bounce back from their first few minutes. Aside from a penalty to begin the period, the Rangers looked hungry to start, but stopping them was David Rittich, with a massive save against Artemi Panarin on a breakaway to keep the Islanders up 1-0. A near-disaster struck as Max Shabanov attempted to put a move on Braden Schneider, which sent him crashing into Igor Shesterkin. Though he looked in pain, Shesterkin stayed in the net and was as spectacular as ever. The Rangers had a close chance on the power play as the puck went off two posts and just barely stayed out of the net on a shot by Will Cuylle, a big break for the Islanders, who remained ahead with 20 minutes remaining.
The third period began, and again the Rangers jumped straight into the Islanders' zone searching for the equalizer. Rittich stood on his head, denying Panarin once again, and keeping this game 1-0 for the Islanders. Some desperation came into the Rangers' play, but the score remained the same. An even closer chance came as Carson Soucy drew a questionable penalty shot, though Rittich didn't have to move much to deny that. It came down to the very end, down to two final power plays for the Rangers. The net soon emptied for the Rangers, but to no avail as Simon Holmstrom sealed it with a final score of 2-0.
Yet another game for the New York Rangers getting blanked, as well as the second time being shut out by the Islanders this season. An outstanding performance by Rittich, stopping all 27 shots and carrying the Islanders to a second straight win, as well as claiming New York once again for now. The Rangers came out hungry in those last two periods, but the finishing continues to struggle, a frustration for Rangers fans all around. It's on to Columbus for the Islanders, and a trip to Carolina for the Rangers, both ready for another division matchup. Both teams shone, but for the time being, New York still belongs to the Islanders. Can the Rangers claim it back next month?
