Rangers Vs. Islanders Preview: So We Meet Again

The last two games have been extremely disappointing for the New York Rangers, and sooner or later they will need to snap out of whatever this is. Goal scoring surprisingly hasn't been a major issue so far, but one of the Rangers biggest issues has been their coverage in the defensive zone. All five guys on the ice seem to get lost at times, and it allows the opposition free reign in the offensive zone.

Alain Vigneault is still in the process of trying to fine tune his lineup, and being without his number one center as well as a top four defenseman makes that task difficult. AV's latest changes include both Michael Kostka, and Ryan Malone making their Rangers debuts tonight against the Islanders. Mats Zuccarello will also be returning to action after missing last game with undisclosed injury.

As a result, J.T. Miller, Jesper Fast, and Matt Hunwick will all be healthy scratches tonight to make room for Malone, Kostka, and Zuccarello. Henrik Lundqvist is expected to make his second straight appearance, after getting yanked late in the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Last year the Rangers started to string together a bunch of wins following a huge 3-2 win over the New York Islanders, so hopefully that is the case tonight. This team is in a desperate need of a confidence boost, and a big win on home ice tonight may be just what the doctor ordered.

2014-2015 Regular season - Game #4
	at
New York Islanders 2-0-0 (4 PTS) 4th in Metropolitan		New York Rangers 1-2-0 (2 PTS) 6th in Metropolitan