Tonight at 7 p.m. ET, the New York Islanders (2-0-0, four points) and New York Rangers (1-2-0, two points) faceoff for the first time this season live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game can be live streamed here. Islanders fans can catch all the action on WRHU 87.7 while Rangers fans can do the same on 98.7 WEPN.
The Isles are feeling good after opening up their season with two straight wins over the Carolina Hurricanes in a home-and-home while the Blueshirts are reeling, having toppled the St. Louis Blues on Opening Night before falling to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs over the weekend.
The Islanders are 2-0 to start the season for the first time since 2007-08 and second-year player Brock Nelson is a huge part of that. Nelson scored a goal and added an assist in the Isles home-opener Saturday and has found the back of the net three times and added three helpers for six points in the team's first two games.
Defenseman Johnny Boychuk has also made his presence known as he has five points off of a goal and four assists while captain John Tavares has also lit the lamp once and added four helpers.
Defenseman Calvin de Haan (upper-body) also seems to be close to a return to the ice after practicing on Monday.
The Islanders were happy to notch a win in front of an electric crowd in the final home-opener at the Nassau Coliseum on Saturday.
"We knew it would be pretty electric. It always is when this place is full," Tavares told Arthur Staple of Newsday. "It's some of the most passionate fans in sports. Just driving in and seeing all the tailgaters, it has to get you fired up."
The Rangers started the season off with a gutsy 3-2 victory over St. Louis, but they have been out-scored 11-5 in their last two games and need to tighten up their game.
Henrik Lundqvist yielded six goals on 24 shots in the Blueshirts' 6-2 loss to the Maple Leafs Sunday and let up five tallies in less than 10 minutes in the second period before being pulled.
New captain Ryan McDonagh believes the team needs to improve in many facets.
"We're trying to find our game, find our rhythm," McDonagh said, according to NHL.com. "It's there in spurts, very little spurts, but as a whole we need everybody to get in sync here."
Forward Rick Nash has been red-hot to open the season, notching four goals and adding one assist for five points through the first three games, but he departed Sunday's game to be with his wife -- who was in labor with the couple's first child -- and he is doubtful to play tonight.
Mats Zuccarello (shoulder) is expected to play tonight after missing Sunday's home-opener against the Maple Leafs while Ryan Malone is slated to make his Rangers debut.
Lee Stempniak is off to a fast start as a Ranger, notching two goals and an assist for three points so far while Chris Kreider also has three points and has made his presence felt with a goal and two helpers so far.
Lundqvist is slated to man the crease again and he is 1-1-0 with a ghastly 5.05 goals-against average and a .837 save percentage through two games. The Islanders counter with Jaroslav Halak, who won his Isles debut and allowed three goals on 24 shots in his only action thus far.
Two New York rivals go head-to-head in Metropolitan Division action when the Islanders and Rangers take the ice tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
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