National Broadcast game on Versus network
THE STORY Islanders (7-4-0) vs. Rangers (6-6-1)
The Islanders-Rangers rivalry continues tomorrow night when the teams battle
for the second time on Long Island this season.
In the series opener, the Islanders defeated the Rangers 2-1 behind stellar
goaltending from Rick DiPietro and Bryan Berard's game-winning power play
goal in his first game of the season.
DiPietro stopped 36 pucks, including all 12 in the third period. Marc-Andre
Bergeron contributed a goal and an assist in the game. His goal came just
seconds before the opening period ended when he let go a quick snapshot off
a faceoff win by Mike Sillinger.
Following the Islanders' dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind win over Pittsburgh
on Al Arbour Night, #1500, they moved into second place in the Atlantic
Division with 14 points. The Rangers are currently tied for third in the
Atlantic Division with Pittsburgh with 13 points. They defeated New Jersey
in a shootout, Saturday night.
Two Streaking Teams The Islanders and Rangers both enter Tuesday's game
riding hot streaks. The Islanders have won four out of their last five
games, including their previous two.
With an odd schedule, giving the Islanders days off at a time, they captured
wins over Washington, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, and most recently, Pittsburgh.
The Rangers have been equally hot, raising their record to .500 with three
consecutive wins. They disposed of Tampa Bay, Washington and New Jersey
this week, allowing only two goals in the process.
A Fast Start For only the seventh time in 34 years, the Islanders have
recorded at least seven wins in their opening 11 games. Of the previous six
Islanders squads to achieve the feat, all reached the postseason, with two
ending as Stanley Cup Champions.
Of the seven wins this season, six have come against teams that made the
2006-07 postseason. The Islanders are 6-0-0 against teams that reached the
2006-07 playoffs.
Below are the seasons in which the Islanders started the season with at
least seven wins in their first 11 contests.
Season Record
2001-02: 9-0-1-1
1982-83: 9-2-0
1981-82: 8-1-2
1976-77: 7-2-2
1974-75: 7-2-2
1987-88: 7-3-1
2007-08: 7-4-0
THE LINEUPS (potential lines and D pairings)
Islanders Goaltenders 39 Rick DiPietro 34 Wade Dubielewicz
Defensemen 32 Brendan Witt - 24 Radek Martinek 25 Andy Sutton - 47
Marc-Andre Bergeron 14 Chris Campoli - 8 Bruno Gervais Forwards 26 Ruslan
Fedotenko - 89 Mike Comrie - 7 Trent Hunter 11 Andy Hilbert - 18 Mike
Sillinger - 13 Bill Guerin 10 Richard Park/10 Sean Bergenheim - 63 Josef
Vasicek - 81 Miroslav Satan 12 Chris Simon ? 29 Ben Walter - 2 Aaron
Johnson
Day-to-day: Sean Bergenheim, Shawn Bates
Rangers Goaltenders 30 Henrik Lundqvist 40 Stephen Valiquette
Defensemen 3 Michal Rozsival - 8 Marek Malik 51 Fedor Tyutin - 5 Daniel
Girardi 18 Marc Staal ? 27 Paul Mara
Forwards 81 Marcel Hossa - 19 Scott Gomez - 68 Jaromir Jagr 14 Brendan
Shanahan - 23 Chris Drury ? 10 Nigel Dawes 44 Ryan Hollweg - 17 Brandon
Dubinsky - 25 Petr Prucha 28 Colton Orr - 15 Blair Betts - 34 Jason
Strudwick
Crucial Matchup: Jagr vs. Witt It's power against power when Jaromir Jagr
matches up against Brendan Witt. With Jagr skating down the right side on
his off-wing, Witt has the daunting task of stopping the five-time Art Ross
Trophy-winner.
Witt did a magnificent job shutting down Jagr in the final four meetings of
the season last year. In the four contests, Jagr registered only two
assists.
Jagr is known to not like playing a physical game, and Witt is fully aware
of that. Look for Witt to get in Jagr's face early in order to discourage
the Czech right wing.
Top Scoring Islanders vs. Rangers (career)
Player GP Goals
1. Miroslav Satan 51 25
2. Bill Guerin 39 15
3. Mike Sillinger 38 13
Player GP Assists
1. Miroslav Satan 51 18
2. Mike Sillinger 38 14
3. Bryan Berard 24 12
Player GP Points
1. Miroslav Satan 51 43
2. Mike Sillinger 38 27
3. Bill Guerin 39 25
SUBPLOTS
Ted vs. Tom
Since the NHL Lockout, New York hockey fans have been fortunate enough to
acquire two of the classier coaches in the NHL.
Ted Nolan brought his players' coach attitude to Long Island to go along
with his upbeat personality. Fans, players and the media of Long Island
have been blessed with the sincerity that Ted brings to the rink every day.
Across the river, Tom Renney did more than just bring the Rangers back to
the playoffs after a nine-year drought, he brought a new respectability to
the franchise that it hadn't seen in years.
While the two teams are bitter rivals on the ice, the two coaches have
nothing but utmost respect for one another off it. Despite nine contests
and many heated on-ice battles between the two teams over the past two
seasons, not once has either coach criticized the other for strategies or
tactics. That's professionalism at its highest.
After joining the Islanders as head coach, Ted has amassed an impressive
6-1-2 record against the Blueshirts. In two-plus seasons with the Rangers,
Renney is 9-7-2 against his cross-river rivals.
Prior to their days with the Islanders and Rangers, Ted and Tom faced each
other as head coaches twice during the 1996-97 season. With Nolan as head
coach in Buffalo and Renney with Vancouver, the two split a two-game season
series.
Rangers Try To Get Even The Islanders have had the Rangers' number lately,
going a combined 7-1-2 over their past ten games.
Last season, the scores of the games ranged from a 7-4 barnburner at Madison
Square Garden to three one-goal games that ended in overtime or the
shootout.
The most important meeting of the season came at the Nassau Coliseum on
April 3 with the Islanders' playoff hopes hanging by a thread. A loss in
overtime or the shootout would have cost the Islanders the 2007 postseason,
but Wade Dubielewicz came through in the shootout and the rest is history.
Whose Side Are You On? A total of 58 NHLers have laced up their skates for
both the Islanders and Rangers. Three players from the current rosters have
played for both New York teams ? Bryan Berard, Martin Straka and Jason
Strudwick. However, with Berard and Straka both out with injuries,
Strudwick will be the lone representative of the "New York-New York" club ?
assuming he dresses. Strudwick has dressed in seven of the Rangers' 13
games.
Other members of the Islanders organization who have played for both New
York squads include assistant coach Dan Lacroix and goaltending coach Mike
Dunham.
Islanders vs. Rangers All-Time Series: All-Time: 93-94-19-3 Home: 58-37-8-2
Road: 35-57-11-1 OT: 4-8-17 Last Win: 10/10/07, Islanders 2, Rangers 1 Last
Loss: 3/25/07, Islanders 1, Rangers 2 (OT) 2006-07: Islanders won series
5-1-2 (2-1-1 at home; 3-0-1 on road) 2007-08: Islanders lead series 1-0
2007-08 Islanders vs. New York Rangers Schedule: October 10, 2007: Islanders
2, NY Rangers 1 November 6, 2007: Islanders vs. NY Rangers, 7:00 p.m.
November 19, 2007: Islanders at NY Rangers, 7:00 p.m. November 29, 2007:
Islanders at NY Rangers, 7:00 p.m. March 4, 2008: Islanders at NY Rangers,
7:00 p.m. March 6, 2008: Islanders vs. NY Rangers, 7:00 p.m. April 3, 2008:
Islanders vs. NY Rangers, 7:00 p.m. April 4, 2008: Islanders vs. NY
Rangers, 7:00 p.m.
To purchase individual game tickets, click here or visit the Coliseum box
office, the Islanders Team Store at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville or call
Ticketmaster at 631.888.9000.
Search "Rangers" in the Islanders TV console to see video highlights from
Islanders-Rangers games.
compiled by Jason Lockhart and Adam Baruch
--
// Jerry Heyman | "Software is the difference between
// Amiga Forever :-) | hardware and reality"
\\ // heymanj RemoveThis @acm.org |
\X/
http://bellsouthpwp.net/h/e/heymanj/
FAQ
Profile
Private Messages
Log in
