Rangers beat Islanders 3-2 for franchise-record 54th win

Artemi Panarin’s late goal in the third period tied the game before he sealed the victory with the shootout winner, as the New York Rangers rallied to defeat the New York Islanders 3-2, securing a franchise-record 54th win on Saturday.

Igor Shesterkin was stellar in net, making 34 saves, while Braden Schneider contributed a short-handed goal and Vincent Trocheck sealed the shootout win. With this victory, the Rangers moved closer to clinching the Presidents’ Trophy for the NHL’s best regular-season record.

Panarin opened the shootout by beating Ilya Sorokin, while Kyle Palmieri hit the post and Brock Nelson was stopped by Shesterkin. Trocheck then secured the win for the Rangers with a shot into the lower corner of the net, ending the Islanders’ six-game winning streak.

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Although Brock Nelson had scored twice in the second period to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead, Panarin’s late heroics, including his 48th goal of the season, helped the Rangers snap a two-game slide.

The Islanders, meanwhile, continue to push for a playoff spot, with an 8-2-1 record in their last 11 games. Under head coach Patrick Roy, who took over from Lane Lambert on Jan. 20, the Islanders have surged late in the season. Currently third in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points and two games remaining, they are on the brink of clinching a playoff berth.