The only thing the Islanders could hang their hats on Monday night was that their schedule showed another game Tuesday.
Until then, they may be seething over the effort they put on the ice in a 6-2 loss to the Rangers at the Garden.
“It’s unacceptable,” captain Anders Lee said. “These are the games we get up for. It shouldn’t be a question about our effort. We talk about battles and all that stuff. We shouldn’t have to answer a question about that. That should be a no-brainer.”
Instead, the Islanders (27-13-4) had to face reality after showing up for the first game between the rivals this season and delivering a clunker.