Rangers get it together after slow start, steamroll Islanders

NEW YORK -- Jonny Brodzinski scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and the New York Rangers defeated the New York Islanders 5-2 on Sunday.

Mika Zibanejad, Will Cuylle, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere also scored for the Rangers, who have won five of six. Igor Shesterkin finished with 25 saves.

"Our team is deep right now," Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck said. "We are getting contributions up and down the lineup. Even when lines aren't scoring, they are contributing in other ways. Getting the momentum, keeping the puck in the O-zone. If we can continue to do that, I like our chances against anybody."

Bo Horvat scored twice, Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves, but the Islanders lost their fourth consecutive game.

The Rangers scored three times in the second period to erase a one-goal deficit and take a 3-2 lead.

"I saw a team that played better than us today," Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. "They managed the puck much better than what we did. They were very fast on transition. I thought they had more energy than us. ... They (Rangers) did what they had to do and that's why they're first in our division."

Horvat scored his second of the game for the Islanders to tie the game at 2-2, but Brodzinski gave the Blueshirts a 3-2 lead as he redirected K'Andre Miller's shot past Sorokin at 15:01.

"I don't think we turned the puck over too much," Miller said. "We were clean, on our breakouts to the neutral zone, getting pucks up to the forwards and letting them get on the forecheck."

The Rangers took their first lead at 2-1 when defenseman Ryan Lindgren made a sensational stretch pass to set up Cuylle for a breakaway.

Lindgren, a top-pairing defenseman for the Rangers, left the game late in the second period after getting tangled up with Jean-Gabriel Pageau behind Shesterkin. The bruising blueliner did not put any weight on his left leg as he left the ice and did not return.

Zibanejad tied it at 1-1 with a booming one-time slap shot from the high slot 27 seconds into the second period. Trade-deadline acquisition Jack Roslovic set up Zibanejad's 22nd goal of the season.

Kaako sent a wrist shot past Sorokin to give the Rangers a two-goal lead 2:36 into the third period.

Artemi Panarin set up Lafreniere for a one-time blast from the slot to give the Rangers a 5-2 lead at 10:42. The first overall selection from the 2020 NHL draft tied his career high of 19 goals in a season.

The Islanders opened the scoring in the first period when Horvat fired a sharp-angled shot past an outstretched Shesterkin. Nelson and Mike Reilly assisted at 14:08.

"I think the biggest struggle was just breaking pucks out clean," Mathew Barzal said. "Got to find a way to be better in that area for sure."

UP NEXT

Islanders: Host Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.

Rangers: Host Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.

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