On paper, the Islanders would certainly prefer a 5-1 homestand over going 4-2. More importantly, they must improve their play after splitting two so-so outings.
The Islanders conclude a season-high, six-game homestand on Sunday night against the Rangers at Nassau Coliseum. The Rangers won the opener of this two-game series, 4-1, on Friday night after the Islanders played worse but managed a 3-2 shootout win over the Flyers on Thursday night.
Those were also the first two games with a revamped lineup after the Islanders acquired top-nine forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the Devils on Wednesday for a first-round pick this year, a conditional fourth-round pick in 2022 and minor-leaguers A.