Rangers vs. Islanders: Lineups, storylines trying to avoid season sweep

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Rangers vs. Islanders: Lineups, storylines trying to avoid season sweep

Rangers vs. Islanders: Lineups, storylines trying to avoid season sweep — Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Jim Cerny · Forever Blueshirts

Thu, Jan 29, 2026 ·

6 min read

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For the second time in as many nights, albeit in a different building, the New York Rangers face off against the New York Islanders on Thursday. This back end of a home-and-home set takes place at Madison Square Garden, after the Rangers lost 5-2 on the road at UBS Arena on Wednesday.

Losing to the Islanders is nothing new for the Rangers this season. In fact, they're trying to avoid a season-series sweep Thursday. They lost the first three games by a combined 12-2 score, and were shut out twice.

That's a reversal of last season, when the Rangers swept the season series against the Islanders, which may have cost them a shot at winning the NHL Draft Lottery. Instead, the Islanders finished with a worse record and then selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 overall pick after winning the lottery.

Schaefer has one point — an assist — in three games against the Rangers this season. But the 18-year-old defenseman averages more than 24 minutes TOI, is second on the Islanders with 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 53 games, and ranks third among all NHL rookies in scoring.

The wonderkid helped spark the Islanders (29-19-5) this season to be one of the League's biggest surprises. They are third in the Metropolitan Division in points percentage, though tied in points with the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins .

The Rangers (22-26-6) are also a surprise team this season, though for all the wrong reasons. They sit last in the Eastern Conference, their six home wins are second fewest in the NHL, and they rank 27th in the NHL averaging 2.65 goals-for per game. The loss Wednesday was their ninth in the past 11 games (2-8-1).

One again, the Rangers are without Artemi Panarin , who's likely played his final game on Broadway. Their leading scorer was a healthy scratch Wednesday for "roster management purposes" and won't play in any game before the Feb. 4 roster freeze for the Olympic break takes effect. It's unknown if the Rangers are close to trading Panarin , or whether they're just being cautious with a valuable asset.

3 storylines when Rangers host Islanders

NHL: New York Islanders at New York Rangers — Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

1. Sully's outlook

A retool roughly eight months after being named coach of the Rangers can't be what Mike Sullivan envisioned last spring, when he arrived on Broadway. But he's a veteran of coaching in the NHL and maintains a steady hand and messaging guiding the Rangers during this tumultuous and upsetting time, especially now with Panarin's days numbered with the organization.

"We're going to handle it like we always try and handle it. We're going to try and win the game in front of us. We're going to try and learn and get better every day, regardless of who's in our lineup. It's opportunities for us to get better, and we're going to try and do that," Sullivan said Thursday morning .

And how does this affect him as a coach?

"I'm going to try to do the best job I can for this team as their coach, and it starts with bringing the right attitude every day and making sure that we bring a certain level of enthusiasm to what we do," Sullivan said Wednesday . "We're going to learn through the experiences. We're going to try to win the one game right in front of us."

2. Brett's back

NHL: New York Rangers at New York Islanders — Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

The Rangers recalled Brett Berard from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Thursday morning. The 23-year-old is expected to be in the lineup against the Islanders, likely at the expense of veteran Jonny Brodzinski in the bottom-six forward group.

"He's a real good energy guy," Sullivan said about Berard, who's scoreless in 12 games with the Rangers this season. "He's great in the puck pursuit game. He can really skate. He's got a little bit of physicality to him. You know, he brings a lot of juice, energy, enthusiasm."

This retool is a major opportunity for Berard, who did score six goals and total 10 points with the Rangers in 35 games last season, and led Hartford with 25 goals as a rookie pro in 2023-24. He's yet to show that offensive skill set to Sullivan and the new coaching staff in New York. But Berard did have nine points (four goals, five assists) in his previous nine games with Hartford, so perhaps there will be some carryover at the next level for him.

Last season, Berard recorded the first two-goal game in the NHL against the Islanders on April 10 at UBS Arena.

3. Goalie challenge

NHL: Preseason-New York Islanders at New York Rangers — Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Spencer Martin allowed five goals in the loss Wednesday, but actually was pretty good between the pipes for the Rangers, considering he didn't get much help defensively from his teammates. Let's see if they are more engaged Thursday, when Jonathan Quick makes the start.

His last time out, Quick backstopped his first win since Nov. 7, ending a dismal 0-10-2 personal run run, in the exciting 4-3 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins at MSG on Monday.

Ilya Sorokin , a leading contender for the Vezina Trophy as top NHL goalie this season, starts for the Islanders after David Rittich picked up the win Wednesday. Sorokin leads the League with six shutouts, including three in his past seven starts, and one against the Rangers back on Nov. 8 at The Garden. The 30-year-old is just 4-6-2, though, in his career against the Rangers, with a 3.17 goals-against average.