The New York Rangers and the New York Islanders delivered a memorable game in the 2024 NHL Stadium Series, with the Rangers coming back from a 4-1 deficit to win 6-5 in overtime at MetLife Stadium.
A historic rivalry in a historic venue
The Rangers and the Islanders have a long and bitter rivalry, dating back to their first meeting in 1972. The two teams have faced each other in the playoffs 11 times, with the Islanders winning eight of those series. The last time they met in the regular season was on Dec. 22, 2022, with the Islanders winning 3-2 in a shootout.
The 2024 NHL Stadium Series was the second outdoor game for both teams, and the first one at MetLife Stadium, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets. The stadium hosted a record crowd of 79,690 fans, who braved the cold and windy conditions to witness a historic game.
The Islanders dominate early, but the Rangers fight back
The game started with a bang, as Rangers defenseman Erik Gustafsson scored the first goal of the game at 1:28 of the first period. However, the Islanders responded with three goals in a span of 10 minutes, from Brock Nelson, Mathew Barzal, and Anthony Beauvillier, to take a 3-1 lead. The Islanders added another goal in the second period, when captain Anders Lee scored on a power play to make it 4-1.
The Rangers did not give up, and scored two goals in the second period to cut the lead to 4-3. Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil found the back of the net for the Blueshirts, who outshot the Islanders 17-9 in the middle frame.
The third period was a roller coaster of emotions, as the Islanders restored their two-goal lead early, when Alexander Romanov scored his first NHL goal at 2:12. The Rangers kept pushing, and got a goal from Chris Kreider with 4:05 left in regulation, to make it 5-4. With the goalie pulled, the Rangers tied the game with 1:29 remaining, when Mika Zibanejad blasted a slap shot past Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin.
Panarin delivers the winner in overtime
The game went to overtime, and it did not last long. Just 10 seconds into the extra period, Artemi Panarin scored the game-winning goal, with a lucky bounce off Sorokin and defenseman Noah Dobson. The goal was reviewed for a possible offside, but it was confirmed shortly after, and the Rangers celebrated their seventh straight win.
Panarin, who had two assists in the game, said he was overwhelmed by the atmosphere and the emotion of the game. “Honestly, I have to say the atmosphere was electric,” Panarin told NHL analyst Jonny Lazarus. “It was something I can’t compare anything else to. I had to hold back tears because it was that much of a spectacle. Once again I have to thank the fans for giving it that electric feeling and wave of emotion.”
The Rangers improved to 36-16-3, and remained in first place in the Metro Division. They also became the first team in NHL history to win five outdoor games, with a perfect 5-0 record. The Islanders fell to 22-18-14, and remained five points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The two teams will meet again on Feb. 25, at Madison Square Garden, for the second of four meetings in the next 55 days.
