Will Cuylle scored on a fortuitous bounce late in the first period and added an assist as the New York Rangers beat the visiting New York Islanders 4-0 on Monday night.
The Rangers improved to 3-0-0 against the Islanders in the season series and won for the fourth time in six games since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Rangers also recorded consecutive shutouts for the first time since March 18-19, 2023.
Cuylle extended his career high by collecting his 17th goal. He also registered the secondary assist on Will Borgen’s first career short-handed goal.
J.T. Miller, who assisted on Cuylle’s goal, scored his seventh goal in 11 games since being acquired from the Vancouver on Canucks Jan. 31. Artemi Panarin contributed an empty-net goal with 5:09 left after the Islanders pulled goaltender Ilya Sorokin with just under eight minutes left. Panarin had assisted on Miller’s goal.
The Islanders’ Anders Lee had a goal disallowed with about eight minutes remaining in the opening period due to an offside call on Casey Cizikas.
The Islanders lost for the sixth time in nine games (3-6-0) since winning seven straight. The visitors, who scored seven goals against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, were blanked for the seventh time this season.
Igor Shesterkin faced long stretches without much action in his own end and made 21 saves in the win.
Sorokin stopped 22 shots for the Islanders, who have been outscored 14-3 in the three meetings.
With 4:57 remaining in the opening period, Cuylle jostled with Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech for position in front of Sorokin. Zac Jones took a shot from above the right circle and the puck caromed off the stick of Islander center Kyle Palmieri before the right side of Cuylle’s helmet deflected the puck into the net.
During the second too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty against the Rangers, the hosts notched their 11th short-handed tally of the season with 45 seconds left in the first period.
Cuylle cleared the puck out of the defensive zone to Sam Carrick, who moved into the left circle. Carrick made a drop pass to Borgen, whose blistering shot sailed over Sorokin’s shoulder before Islanders defenseman Adam Boqvist could defend the play.
Miller upped the lead to 3-0 with 16:17 remaining in the game. He lifted a shot from the right circle over Sorokin moments after stealing the puck from Islanders defenseman Anthony DeAngelo in the neutral zone.
The Rangers blanked the visiting Predators 4-0 on Sunday.
–Field Level Media
