New York Rangers: Loss To Islanders Was A Big One

The New York Rangers went into last night’s game vs. their biggest rivals, the New York Islanders, red hot, winning 13 out of their last 14 games, with their last 3 wins coming on the west coast. The Rangers were easily playing their best hockey all season long, and their best since last postseason.

However, while many fellow Rangers fans would not like to admit this, last night’s game was more important than any of their previous 14. Not that winning 13 out of 14 should be minimized, but the importance of last night’s game was just greater than any of the previous 14. The Islanders are in the Rangers division, and currently in 1st place in said division, and like I said before, are the Rangers biggest rivals.

After losing their first match up with the Islanders this season, 6-3, it was time for the Rangers, playing their best hockey of the season, to come home and send a message to the Islanders that this is still their town and that they plan to challenge them for 1st place in the Metropolitan Division.

Instead though, it was the Islanders that laid down the law at Madison Square Garden for a second time this season and, as a result, sent the Rangers a message that this division belongs to them and that they are the better team.

The final score was Islanders 3 Rangers 0. It was the first time the Islanders shut out the Rangers at Madison Square Garden since 1975, and was only the 2nd time this season the Rangers were shut out at all.

Rangers fans may not want to hear it, but it is true. This season the Islanders are better than the Rangers. They have speed just like the Rangers only the Islanders also have the size, young talent, and physicality to go along with their speed. Oh and the Islanders can actually win a faceoff.

Believe it or not, losing faceoffs was the main reason why the Rangers lost to the Islanders last night. The Rangers inability to win a draw resulted in the Islanders always having the puck, and chances are the team that has the puck the most usually wins the game. Until the Rangers go out and get some players that can actually win faceoffs, to establish puck possession, the Rangers are going to be losing more and more to top teams like the Islanders. And yes, the Islanders are now a top team.

But anyway, the point I am trying to make and prove is that of last night’s game against the Islanders being more important than any of the Rangers previous 14 games.

This is because the Rangers winning 13 out of 14 did not change any position in the standings but at least brought them within striking distance of the 1st place Islanders. Winning 13 out of 14 games put the Rangers just 5 points behind the Islanders with 3 games in hand. Now what made last night’s game more important than any of the Rangers previous 14 games is because last night’s game was actually worth 4 points instead of 2. A Rangers win, and they move to just 3 points behind the Islanders with 3 games in hand. A Rangers loss, and they fall to 7 points behind the Islanders with 3 games in hand.

Being 7 points behind the Islanders, which the Rangers currently are because they lost last night, instead of being just 3 points behind the Islanders is a big difference.

New York Rangers Loss To Islanders A Big One Despite Recent Winning Streak

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