Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The New York Rangers and the New York Islanders faced off just last week, with the Rangers comfortably dispatching their playoff rivals (5:1) to take a 2-0 lead in the season series.
New York Rangers
The Rangers are making minor roster adjustments to free up cap space. They’ve added 24-year-old forward Juuso Pärssinen, who will strengthen the bottom six, and veteran defenceman Calvin de Haan. However, neither is likely to make an immediate impact. Due to injuries, the hosts will be without their top playmaker from the blue line, Adam Fox (5+43), and leading scorer Chris Kreider (17+4).
New York Islanders
In theory, the weekend game against the Nashville Predators (7:4) should be a confidence booster—the Islanders finally found their scoring touch. However, this was the only game in their last ten where they netted more than three goals. Their lack of finishing was also evident in their previous encounter with the Rangers, where they outshot their rivals by a wide margin (37-18) but managed to beat Igor Shesterkin just once.
New York Rangers vs New York Islanders Prediction
Both teams are struggling offensively, whether due to injuries or tactical inefficiencies. In last week’s matchup, Jonny Brodzinski’s unexpected brace made a major difference—accounting for a third of his total goals this season. That’s unlikely to happen again. Plus, Igor Shesterkin has had three days of rest, which should further limit the Islanders' scoring opportunities.
