With his team having won five of its previous six games, and entering Wednesday’s first meeting of the season against a severely-depleted Islanders team in brand new UBS Arena, Rangers coach Gerard Gallant was asked at the morning skate if he thought he would have to remind his team to make sure not to take their opponent lightly.
"I think under normal circumstances you’d say that, but we know how it’s a big rivalry, the Islanders and the Rangers,’’ Gallant said. "And they’re a wounded team, but they’re a dangerous team. They’re a good hockey team. They’re going to work hard, they’re going to compete, they’re going to battle hard.