An NHL Game Day Preview between the New York Islanders Vs New York Rangers – StatementGames alternative Fantasy Hockey, play for FREE and WIN CASH Rewards.
When: 7:00 PM EST, February 8, 2021.
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
TV: NBCSN
Puckline: Islanders +1.5 / -250 | Rangers -1.5 / +200
Moneyline: Islanders -105 | Rangers -115
OVER/UNDER Game Total: 6.5
New York Islanders
Record: 4-4-2-0
Road Record: 1-4-2-0
PL: 6-4
New York Rangers
Record: 4-4-1-1
Home Record: 3-2-1-0
PL: 8-2
New York Islanders Vs New York Rangers Game Day Preview
The latest chapter of the rivalry between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers began with the teams trading dominating shutout victories at Madison Square Garden in the first two games of the season.
Both teams have experienced some ups and downs since but are now looking to follow up on solid performances tonight.
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders 5 game loosing skid ended with a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. It was their first game following consecutive postponements due to COVID-19 issues with the Buffalo Sabres.
“It was a big win for us because we stopped a little bit of a slide here,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said.
Jordan Eberle scored twice in the first period, giving him five goals so far this season, and the Islanders overcame a 3-2 deficit by getting the tying goal from Cal Clutterbuck and the go-ahead tally on a power play by Anders Lee.
Saturday marked the third time the Islanders scored more than three goals.
“In this short season, you don’t want to get too far behind,” Eberle said. “We need to get on a roll and get back into it.”
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are finding ways to win recently. They are seeking a third straight victory and are 3-0-1 in their past four games. New York’s recent improvement follows a four-game skid (0-3-1) where it lost each game by one goal.
The Rangers have been idle since posting a 4-2 win over Washington on Thursday. They had a game at New Jersey postponed on Saturday due to COVID-19 issues with the Devils.
After a 3-1 win over Pittsburgh on Monday, the Rangers took the lead 1:41 into Thursday’s game on a goal by Ryan Strome, who scored twice and has three of his goals in the past four games. Artemi Panarin added three assists and has nine points (three goals, six assists) over the past four games.
“I liked a lot about our game from the get-go,” Rangers coach David Quinn said. “We were all dialed in. I thought we were mentally and physically ready to go.”
Panarin leads the Rangers with 15 points and is heating up while Mika Zibanejad is off to a slow start with a goal and two assists after scoring a career-best 41 goals last season.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign for the Rangers on Thursday was a second straight solid showing by goaltender Igor Shesterkin against the Capitals.
Shesterkin made 31 saves, including six of seven shots from Alexander Ovechkin. Since getting off to a shaky 0-2-1 start, Shesterkin has stopped 79 of 84 shots during a three-game winning streak and helped the Rangers kill off 10 penalties in the past two games.
Islanders Vs Rangers Facts
- Islanders are 2-5 in their last 7 games as a road underdog.
- Rangers are 6-2 in their last 8 vs. a team with a losing record.
- Islanders are 2-5 in the last 7 meetings against the Rangers.
New York Islanders Vs New York Rangers Alternative Fantasy Hockey-Statement Games Picks
Islanders 2 Rangers 3 (OT)
10 PT Pick: Artemi Panarin + Mika Zibanejad + Kaapo Kakko UNDER 1.5 Goals
9 PT Pick: Anders Lee + Mathew Barzal + Brock Nelson UNDER 1.5 Goals
8 PT Pick: New York Islanders Defenseman OVER 8.5 Blocked Shots
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