The Islanders got off to a red-hot start on Thursday night, and they maintained that momentum for the rest of the game, blanking the Rangers 4-0 on opening night. >> Box score
Here’s what you need to know about Thursday’s game...
-The Islanders scored two goals in the span of a minute and 19 seconds early in the first. After Jack Johnson took an early holding penalty, the Islanders capitalized with a Brock Nelson powerplay goal. Nelson parked himself in the slot area in front of the net, and a deflected shot landed right on his stick, as he lit he lamp for the Islanders’ first goal of the season.
-Seventy-nine second later, Anders Lee was on his way to the bench after taking an unpenalized high stick to his face, but the puck found it’s way to him at center ice, and Lee decided to carry the puck in on a quickly developing two-on-one. Lee’s wrist shot beat Igor Shesterkin on the glove side, and just like that, the Islanders took a 2-0 lead.
-Johnson’s rough first period continued later in the first. After failing to chip a puck into the Islanders’ zone, the Islanders moved quickly the other way, and Mat Barzal was able to weave his way through the Rangers’ defense and beat Shesterkin’s glove, giving the Islanders a 3-0 advantage. For Barzal, it was a nice way to celebrate his new three-year contract.
- Midway through the second period, the Rangers looked to get on the board for the first time, as Jacob Trouba pinched in from the point to jab at a puck around the crease. The puck found the back of the net, but after the play was blown dead as the officials seemed to lose track of the puck. After review, the call on the ice stood, and the Rangers remained down 3-0.
- Late in the second, the Islanders struck on the power play yet again. The Islanders cycled the puck around, and Lee got better positioning in front of the net than Trouba. Lee was initally credited with his second goal, but it was later changed to a goal for Jordan Eberle. Either way, the goal gave the Islanders a 4-0 lead.
- With just over 11 minutes left in the game, Shesterkin made a great save to rob Lee of a hat trick on a two-on-one, but Eberle then came barreling into Shesterkin in a scramble for the buck. The play was reviewed, and it was determined that he puck crossed the goal line. The Rangers challenged that their was goaltender interference, so the goal was then wiped off the board.
-Semyon Varlamov only faced 24 shots on the night, but he stopped them all, beginning his season with a shutout.
Highlights