There is nothing better than playoff hockey, and the only thing that comes close to that is games between two archrivals, like the Rangers and the Islanders, when both are battling for a playoff spot.
For the Islanders, who were struggling to score goals and sliding down the standings, a two-game, home-and-home set against the Rangers could not have come at a better time. First-period goals by Leo Komarov and Oliver Wahlstrom got the Isles off to a fast start and goaltender Semyon Varlamov posted his third shutout against the Rangers this season as the Isles ended their three-game losing streak with a 4-0 victory over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.