For the first time in nearly eight years, the Rangers lost every game to the Islanders in a single campaign.
The regular-season series sweep is one thing, but the nature of each Rangers defeat signaled a turning point in the long-standing rivalry.
While the 2-1 loss Thursday night at Madison Square Garden was the closest contest between the teams this season, the Blueshirts were outscored by an eye-catching 14-3 over the four games against the Islanders.
“We’re talking to the guys a lot, whether it’s 5-on-5 or 4-on-4, on trying to create more off the shot,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after the Rangers fell to 6-14-4 on home ice this season. “Simplify the game. Get inside, create more off the shot. Nothing breaks coverage down better than a shot on goal. A rebound goes somewhere and decisions have to be made. Therein lies opportunity. If we get inside with people, we’ve got an opportunity to compete on pucks and we force the Islanders to have to defend the scoring area.
“I just think we have to do a better job at recognizing when to put pucks in play, but we also have to have a willingness to get inside with people more consistently. When we do it, we do it at times and I think we create when we do. There’s an element of consistency I think we can bring more to that.
“I think if we do, I think we’ll score more goals, we’ll generate more scoring chances, we may draw more penalties, because we’re forcing teams to have to defend the scoring area and that’s the hardest area in the rink to defend.”
The Rangers were also shut out in two of their four games against the Islanders, including a 5-0 drubbing in their first meeting of the season.
The 2025-26 Rangers season has been handed over to the youth.
Brett Berard skated in his 13th NHL game of the season Thursday night against the Islanders, bringing the lineup’s youngster count — along with Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann, Scott Morrow and Matthew Robertson — to five.
Learning of his latest recall after the Wolf Pack’s 7-1 loss in Hartford, in which he sustained a cut that required four stitches on his left eyelid, Berard packed up and headed for Manhattan.
“I feel like the last few weeks down in Hartford I’ve really started to feel like myself,” he said after morning skate. “Playing to my identity, quick, fast, hard, using my weight as much as I can. It’s been good to see a few go in the net. Definitely helps with the confidence. But, yeah, I feel like I’m in a good spot.”
Berard was last recalled for the Winter Classic earlier this month in Miami, but was promptly returned. It was just his second call-up of the season after the 23-year-old got a run of 11 games at the end of November into mid-December.
Over those 11 games, Berard registered zero points and just 10 shots on goal.
“The first few games, I thought I was good, but the last couple I thought maybe it dipped for whatever reason,” Berard said when asked to evaluate his first stint of the season. “I wasn’t getting as many pucks on net. So yeah, I think it was good to go back down to Hartford and get my confidence back. I think this time around, I’m really ready. I’m ready to go and super excited to hopefully be in the lineup tonight.”
Slotting onto the left wing of the fourth line next to Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe, Berard appeared in his 48th career NHL contest. The 134th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has only skated in the bottom six this season.
Goalie Jonathan Quick stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced in his 17th start of the season.
The Rangers are scheduled to be off Friday before they venture to Pittsburgh to face the Penguins on Saturday.
