Instant Islanders: Takeaways From OT Loss To Rangers at MetLife Stadium

East Rutherford, NJ–The New York Islanders lost in overtime to the New York Rangers by a final of 6-5 on Sunday evening.

Brock Nelson, Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Anders Lee and Alexander Romanov all scored for the Islanders, while Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves on 38 shots in net.

Artemi Panarin scored the overtime winner for the Rangers, who were also bolstered by two goals from Vincent Trocheck as well as scores from Erik Gustafsson and Chris Kreider. In the crease, Igor Shesterkin stopped 36 of 41 shots.

The Islanders took home a point but left a much-needed second one on the table as their record fell to 22-18-14.

But that’s just the box score. Here are the key takeaways from the night that was at MetLife Stadium.

Islanders Do What They Do Best:

There aren’t any more fun or creative ways to write this.

The Islanders penalty kill was once again the main culprit behind them blowing a multi-goal lead.

Ahead 5-3 midway through the third, the Islanders surrendered two power-play goals late in regulation. In overtime, it only took Artemi Panarin 10 seconds to steal a win for the Rangers.

The Islanders had two multi-goal advantages in the game. At one point, they led by as many as three.

Two Goals In Two Outdoor Games For Nelson:

The Islanders have now played two games outdoors, and Brock Nelson has goals in both of them.

Off assists from Scott Mayfield and Cal Clutterbuck, Nelson tied the score at 4:20 of the first period with his team-leading 23rd goal of the year.

Nelson had the lone goal for the Islanders when they met the Rangers 10 years ago at Yankee Stadium. He, Clutterbuck, Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas are the only players who played in that game a decade ago who are still with the team today.

Dobson Passes Half-Century Mark:

Noah Dobson now has 51 this season after collecting three on Sunday, making it the ninth time an Islanders defenseman has reached the half-century mark in a single year.

The last Islanders defenseman to have that many helpers in a season was Hall of Famer Denis Potvin in 1984-85.

Islanders To Host 2026 All-Star Game:

During the game’s first intermission, the NHL announced the 2026 All-Star Game will take place at UBS Arena.

It will be the second time the Islanders will host an All-Star Game. The last time was back in 1983 at the Nassau Coliseum.

Up Next:

The Islanders will need to have short memories as they have a game against another division rival coming up on Tuesday when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.

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