Rangers 6, Islanders 1: A Preseason Finale That Told Two Different Stories
The Rangers closed their exhibition schedule with an NHL-heavy lineup and a rout at UBS Arena, while the Islanders took their consolation from three returning veterans.
The scoreline was lopsided, but both New York teams left UBS Arena on Friday with what they came for. The Rangers dressed a near-opening-night roster and rolled to a 6-1 win in their preseason finale; the Islanders, icing a largely AHL-level lineup, cared less about the result than about three players making their way back from long injury layoffs.
How it unfolded
The Rangers struck early and never let go. Oliver Bjorkstrand opened the scoring at 3:48 of the first period, and J.T. Miller added a power-play goal 55 seconds later, according to Forever Blueshirts. Three more goals in the second — from Tye Kartye, Gabe Perreault and Will Cuylle — made it 5-0 before Mika Zibanejad converted another power play early in the third. Adam Fox quietly ran the show with three assists, and Igor Shesterkin needed only 15 saves. Pierre Engvall spoiled the shutout midway through the third.
The turning point, such as it was, came inside the first five minutes: two quick goals, one on the power play, against a young Islanders lineup that never recovered.
The Islanders' real storyline
Per the Islanders' own takeaways, Semyon Varlamov stopped 21 of 27 shots in his first full 60-minute outing since November 29, 2024. Head coach Pete DeBoer offered him an exit after two periods; Varlamov chose to finish. Alexander Romanov logged 20:24 — third-most on the team — with five blocked shots in his first NHL game since a shoulder injury ended his season in November 2025, and Ryan Pulock returned from offseason shoulder surgery saying he "felt good from a recovery standpoint."
What it means
The Rangers head into Tuesday's regular-season opener against Boston with their special teams humming and roster decisions due Monday. The Islanders head into theirs with a rebuilt blue line that, for one night at least, was healthy — which matters more to their season than any September scoreline.