The New York Islanders (27-25-7) travel to face off against the New York Rangers (30-26-4) on Monday, March 3rd. This game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York and televised on ESPN+. The Rangers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Islanders are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rangers. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.
Islanders vs Rangers
The New York Islanders Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
The Islanders fell to 27-25-7 after a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. As the underdogs on the puck line, New York failed to cover, and the total of 7 goals went over the pre-game line of 6.
New York trailed 2-0 before Casey Cizikas scored at 15:22 in the second period. The Islanders added another goal in the second, but the Rangers pulled away with two more goals in the third.
The New York Rangers Are Coming Off A Win
The Rangers improved to 30-26-4 with a 5-2 win over the Islanders. Entering as -1.5 goal favorites, they covered the puck line with ease. The total for the game was set at 6 goals, but the teams combined for 7.
Four different Rangers scored in the game, with Artemi Panarin leading the way with two goals. The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Islanders got on the board, and they added two more goals in the third period to secure the win.
New York Offense Breakdown
In their 5-2 loss to the Rangers, the Islanders fired 37 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Casey Cizikas scored his first goal of the season, while Brock Nelson added his fifth, with just 8 seconds left in the second period.
The Islanders recorded 23 giveaways and were shut out in the first and third periods. Pierre Engvall earned his first assist of the season on Cizikas’ goal, and Simon Holmstrom picked up his fourth assist. Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee also contributed, with Palmieri now having 4 assists and Lee 3 on the season.
Rangers Offense Breakdown
The Rangers took 40 shots on goal and scored five times in their 5-2 win over the Islanders. Artemi Panarin led the way with two goals, including his 9th of the season on an empty net. Chris Kreider opened the scoring with his 8th goal, while Vincent Trocheck added his 4th. Adam Edstrom also found the net for the first time this season.
Mika Zibanejad recorded three assists, bringing his total to 8 for the season. The Rangers scored once on a power play and added a shorthanded goal from Kreider. New York had 14 giveaways in the game.
New York Team Defense
The Islanders’ defense gave up an early goal just 3:44 into the first period, and they conceded another at 1:21 into the second. After closing the gap to 3-2, they allowed two more goals in the third period, including one at 5:18 and an empty-netter at 16:37. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves with a save percentage of 89.7%.
New York Team Defense
Defensively, the Rangers will look to carry over their momentum from their previous game, where they gave up just two goals to the Islanders. Igor Shesterkin recorded 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage, and the defense added 10 takeaways, 19 hits, and 18 blocks. New York will look to tighten up in the second period, as both goals they allowed came in the second, including one with just 8 seconds left in the period.
Islanders vs Rangers Trends
- In their last five games away from home, the Islanders have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 2 goals per game in these contests.
- When looking at their past three home matchups, New York has an puck line record of 2-1 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
- Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, New York has an puck line mark of 4-1 while going 2-3 straight up.
- New York has done well both straight up and vs the puck line when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 puck line in their last three games.
Islanders vs Rangers Prediction
When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Rangers to come out with a win against the Islanders while playing at home. Considering the moneyline odds at -126, I’m placing my bet on the Rangers to win outright.
My recommended pick for the puck line is to take the Islanders to cover. Even if the Rangers win straight-up, this one should be close throughout and the Islanders should cover the puck line.
When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 5.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 3, 2025 Islanders, Rangers