Facing the Rangers for the third time in eight days, the Islanders finally had some luck on their side.
It had been some time since the Islanders saw bounces go their way and frustrations were beginning to culminate. But the Islanders snapped a three-game losing skid with a rejuvenating 4-2 win at the Garden on Tuesday, avoiding a third loss to their rivals and taking a much-needed win into the All-Star break.
“That’s hockey,” Islanders captain Anders Lee said. “You’re going to have stretches where it goes your way and stretches where it doesn’t.”
It was an unstoppable five-point performance from the Artemi Panarin, the Rangers’ prized offseason addition, that buried the Islanders 6-2 in the team’s first meeting Jan.