Artemi Panarin scores twice as Rangers top undermanned Islanders
NEW YORK -- Artemi Panarin scored twice, Mika Zibanejad had three assists and Igor Shesterkin made 35 saves, and the New York Rangers defeated the New York Islanders 5-2 on Sunday.
Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck and Adam Edstrom also scored for the Rangers, who won again on home ice after Friday's 2-1 victory over Ottawa.
Kreider scored shorthanded -- his seventh goal of the season 3:44 into the contest -- with an assist to Zibanejad with Rangers captain Jacob Trouba in the penalty box.
Trocheck made it 2-0 at 1:21 of the second after Reilly Smith stripped the puck from Islanders defenseman Samuel Bolduc and passed to Trocheck in the slot.
The Islanders cut the deficit to one when Casey Cizikas tapped a loose puck past Shesterkin at 4:38 of the second.
Panarin restored the two-goal lead at 11:04 of the middle period on the power play.
Islanders center Brock Nelson scored off a scramble in front at 19:52 of the second to make it 3-2.
Edstrom scored his first goal at 5:18 of the third, followed by Panarin's second of the game and team-leading ninth goal into an empty net at 16:37.
Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves for the Islanders.
TAKEAWAYS
The Islanders, who fell to 4-6-2, have been shut out four times, scored one goal once and scored twice in Sunday's loss. They have scored three or more goals in six games.
The Rangers improved to 4-1-1 at home. They are 4-1-0 on the road.
KEY MOMENT
Shesterkin, who improved to 6-2-1 this season, denied Islanders forward Bo Horvat on a breakaway early in the second period and stopped Horvat again 3:50 into the third.
KEY STATS
Kreider's first-period goal was the 311th of his career, third-most in Rangers history behind Rod Gilbert (406) and Jean Ratelle (336).
Panarin has points in 10 of New York's 11 games and leads the Rangers with 18 points.
UP NEXT
Islanders: host Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Rangers: host Buffalo on Thursday.
