The Islanders and Rangers picked a great night to have an epic battle. A little national TV exposure never hurt anyone, even if Butch Goring was upset he wasn’t doing the game.
Tonight, the Rangers made their first trip to the Barclays Center in the newest chapter of the heated crosstown rivalry between the two New York teams. The Islanders came in having won six of ten, with points in their last four (3-0-1). The Rangers came in at 17-6-2, atop the Metro Division, but having dropped three of their last four.
Any time you have a rivalry game, you know it’s going to be heavily hyped, and a tough battle.