Ryan McDonagh (far side) scores the first of two with Tanner Glass and Dominic Moore screening in front. The Rangers rallied to defeat the Islanders 6-5 in a wild game.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

This one was as wild and unpredictable as it gets. For a while, it looked like it would be a repeat of the first three meetings. Not this time. Showing resiliency, the Rangers twice rallied back from two-goal deficits to stun the Islanders 6-5. It was their first win in four tries in the Battle Of New York. More importantly, they cut the Isles’ division lead to two with two games at hand.

Using a three-goal barrage in a dominant third period, they earned it by getting to Jaroslav Halak. Entering the contest, he had only allowed four goals in the first three games. All Islander wins. However, the Rangers solved Halak getting six by him on 42 shots. Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis scored 1:37 apart to tie it and then Kevin Klein notched the game-winner with 4:32 left in regulation. Despite severely outplaying the Islanders, they still had to survive a Josh Bailey chance off the crossbar in the final frantic seconds.

”I’m sure it was a fun game to watch. Not so sure either coach feels that way,” Stepan diplomatically observed after having his best game since returning from the flu. He recorded his 10th goal and two assists.

His line with St. Louis and Chris Kreider combined for seven points (3-4-7) and a plus-seven rating. The elder statesman, St. Louis snapped a 15-game goal drought putting together a two-point night. His first multi-point game since Jan. 18. Kreider scored for a second straight game and was instrumental throughout. His finger prints were all over the Rangers’ fourth consecutive win allowing them to go a perfect 4-0-0 on their road trip. The fifth time in franchise history they’ve swept a four-game road trip.

”That was a real gut check for us,” Ryan McDonagh said after recording his first two-goal game. ”It feels really good right now. It’s great how we stuck together.”

It wouldn’t have been possible without a huge save from Cam Talbot. Shaky throughout, he made the biggest stop of the game denying Casey Cizikas on a breakaway with the Islanders already leading 2-0. Talbot atoned for a gaffe on the game’s opening shift when his giveaway behind the net allowed John Tavares to score his team-leading 26th just 11 seconds in. Before they knew what hit them, Frans Nielsen beat Marc Staal to a Travis Hamonic rebound giving the Isles an early two-goal lead with Nassau Coliseum rocking.

For most of the first period, it was deja vu all over again. The Islanders dominated with their size and speed generating chance after chance. In fact, they peppered Talbot with a dizzying 22 shots. If he doesn’t stone Cizikas, it could have been a very different game. Instead, a rare good shift from the Rangers fourth line allowed Dan Girardi to find McDonagh wide open in the slot for a huge goal cutting the deficit to 2-1 with 5:25 remaining. Before the goal, McDonagh got away with a penalty. Undetected, he buried his sixth with Tanner Glass in front of Halak. He actually had a good game along with Lee Stempniak, who picked up a secondary helper on the goal.

”We just kept fighting and fighting,” Talbot explained after stopping 38 of 43 in improving to 5-1-1 since taking over the number one goalie for injured starter Henrik Lundqvist. ”The mindset is to just stop the next one. They’ve been scoring in bunches.”

It was one of those games you so rarely see in today’s NHL. Neither team played much defense. Both goalies were beatable. There were plenty of mistakes by each side. It was a classic rivalry game between bitter rivals. Fire wagon hockey. The teams combined for 11 goals and 85 shots. Every goal came at even strength. There weren’t many power plays with the Rangers 0-for-2 while the Islanders went 0-for-3 even though one of their goals came after a penalty expired.

The second period was frantic. Each side scored twice. Like they had at the start, the Islanders struck first when Johnny Boychuk intercepted a Klein clearing attempt firing a rocket past Talbot to put the Long Island hosts ahead 3-1 at 1:20.

Undeterred, the Rangers kept coming. First, Kreider took a Stepan pass in the neutral zone and beat Halak with a long wrist shot from the left circle cutting it to one at 3:07. Only 23 seconds later, J.T. Miller kept a puck in and passed across for McDonagh, who let go of a slap shot from long distance that eluded Halak at 3:30 to tie it.

Ryan Strome celebrates a goal with teammates Brock Nelson and Travis Hamonic.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

But Stepan took his second minor of the game going off for tripping to give the Islanders a power play. Even though they couldn’t score on it, they were able to go back ahead after it expired when a Travis Hamonic shot deflected off Brock Nelson in front rebounding off Talbot to Ryan Strome, who deposited it as both Girardi and McDonagh watched. It was the first of two for Strome, who would also score what looked like a crusher early in the third to give his team a two-goal lead.

Despite some undisciplined penalties including a bench minor for a second consecutive game, the Rangers kept pressing. They easily could’ve tied it in the second. Even though he didn’t get on the score sheet, Rick Nash was dominant offensively with a game high seven shots. That included a goalpost after the Isles’ first goal when he had Halak dead to rights. However, his line was victimized for a couple of goals against.

Two straight Islander penalties gave the Rangers chances late in the second and at the beginning of the third. Unable to take advantage despite heavy pressure, they got burned when Dan Boyle lost control of a puck at the Islander blueline. After he fell down, Strome and Nielsen came the other way on a two-on-one with only Matt Hunwick back. A perfect give-and-go resulted in Strome going top shelf for his second of the game at 3:43 giving the Isles a 5-3 lead.

At that point, I had it. It just felt like it would be another missed opportunity. This was different than the first three games. The Rangers were in it and dictating the play after a awful first. Even though I didn’t think it was over, I decided to leave and go to the gym. I muttered to Dad, “Maybe they’ll show some heart.” I doubt he heard me. I was in a jovial mood. 😛

By the time I reached the gym, Stepan had finished off a Kreider back pass on just a great rush for his 10th closing it to 5-4 at 6:25. As I parked, St. Louis then buried his 15th from Stepan and Marc Staal tying it up at 8:02. But really, Kreider made the play forcing Boychuk into a turnover. Even though Boychuk contended that he was tripped, that’s not how I saw it on the replay. It was just a good play by Kreider, who took advantage of a very poor decision from Boychuk. The end result was Stepan setting up St. Louis for an easy finish.

After listening to the much more tolerable MSG radio team of Kenny Albert and Dave Maloney for a couple of minutes, I decided to go do my workout. I figured, ‘It’s not like I’m going to see it anyway. Either they’ll complete the comeback or not.’ As I was getting to a machine, Klein scored his ninth from Derick Brassard. It was a great forecheck by Brassard and St. Louis, who also got a helper. Brassard skated around the Isles D before finding Klein for a perfect shot far side on Halak to make it 6-5 Rangers at 15:28.

”We were down by two twice and the guys battled back,” Klein said after extending his point streak to six straight with a goal and assist. ”It was a wild one. We wanted to play a more defensive style against these guys.”

They may not have succeeded in slowing down the Islanders, who were without a top six forward in Kyle Okposo and a top four defenseman in Calvin de Haan even though that was curiously Jack Capuano’s decision. But for once, the Rangers showed tremendous character against a good team they’ll have to go through. Halak was fighting the puck all night. The Isles didn’t play lock down defensively. They were outscored 3-1 and outshot 18-6 in the third.

NY Puck 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Ryan Strome, NYI (2 goals-11th, 12th, 5 SOG, +2 in 18:53)

2nd Star-Chris Kreider, NYR (goal-14th, assist, 4 SOG, 2 hits, +3 in 15:22)

1st Star-Kevin Klein, NYR (goal-9th, game-winner, assist, 2 hits, 3 blocked shots, +1 in 19:01)

Notes: Eleven different Rangers recorded a point. Five had multi-point games including Stepan (1-2-3), Klein (1-1-2), Kreider (1-1-2), McDonagh (2-0-2) and St. Louis (1-1-2). Seven Islanders recorded a point led by Strome’s two goals, Nielsen’s goal and assist and Hamonic’s two assists. Despite scoring 11 seconds in, Tavares was minus-two while matched up against the Rangers’ third line. … Islanders outhit the Rangers 43-29 led by rookie Anders Lee’s 8. Carl Hagelin recorded seven for the Blueshirts. … Islanders won 35-of-62 faceoffs led by Nielsen (12-and-6). Dominic Moore paced the Rangers going 6-and-4. … McDonagh led all skaters in ice-time with 25:42.

… Rangers improved to 34-16-5 with 73 points tying the Pens in points but going ahead due to more ROW (32-29) and one game at hand. They have the most ROW in the division two better than the Islanders (30). The Islanders dropped to 37-19-1 with a division-leading 75 points in 57 games. They’re back at it tonight at Carolina. … The Rangers get two days off before hosting Vigneault’s former team Vancouver Thursday.