The New York Rangers beat the New York Islanders 2:0 in the NHL on Thursday night. It was a straightforward result that settled any questions about who deserved the points. We had tipped the hosts to win, but things came to a head in the second period and the Islanders never got going after that.
The Rangers took control early and stuck to it. By then you could see they had a plan and the Islanders were chasing the game rather than shaping it. The visitors made the difference with two goals that came at different stages, which is the sort of thing that separates a win from a draw.
Both sides started the season with zero games, zero points and zero of everything else. The standings were empty, which meant this was a fresh slate. The Islanders had won their last meeting 4:3 on September 22, but by then the mood had shifted and they were the ones who had not won since.
To be fair, the Rangers showed more cohesion in their own end. The Islanders tried to press high but found themselves exposed when the visitors turned quickly. That is a tactical adjustment that coaching staffs work on all summer, and it showed tonight.
The result puts the Rangers ahead in the early table, though neither side has much to say yet. Three points from one game is a start, and the Islanders will need to regroup before their next fixture. The history between them adds an edge, but tonight the Rangers were the better side.
