3 Rangers takeaways from 6-4 preseason win against Islanders

There were plenty of storylines and subplots from the New York Rangers’ 6-4 preseason win against the New York Islanders on Tuesday. Not the least of which was a six-goal third period, when the Rangers rallied from 3-0 and 4-1 down to win their second straight preseason contest.

Zac Jones and Chris Kreider sparked the comeback, each scoring two goals and adding an assist.

For Jones, it was a great start to the preseason, showing he’s ready to replace Erik Gustafsson this season on the third defense pair and be a lineup staple for the first time in the NHL.

“It wasn’t a great first two periods for me personally, but I know I came out there in the third to really try and make a name for myself and really prove to these coaches I can do it night-in and night-out,” Jones explained . “So, I just tried to go out there and play my best in the third.”

That could have been said for the entire squad, which fell behind 3-0 after two periods and trailed 4-1 with 6:10 remaining before the floodgates opened.

Unfortunately, there were injuries to two regulars — Artemi Panarin and Ryan Lindgren — and a near-miss for Filip Chytil.

So, like we said, plenty of storylines and takeaways.

Related: Mika Zibanejad ‘excited’ to have Reilly Smith as new Rangers linemate

3 takeaways from Rangers vs. Islanders preseason game

Here are three important takeaways from the Rangers preseason win against the Islanders on Tuesday.

2 injuries and 1 close call

The win may have come with a high price. Panarin left in the third period with a lower-body injury in his preseason debut. And Lindgren sustained an upper-body injury in a fight with Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield on his second shift of the night. Lindgren was cut in the fight and did not return.

Coach Peter Laviolette didn’t have an update postgame on either player — one, a 120-point scorer last season, the other, a top-pair defenseman. Certainly, the Rangers are hoping for good news on Wednesday.

Then there’s Chytil, who played only 10 regular-season games and six postseason games last season because of an upper-body injury believed to be a concussion. He was trucked by Mayfield at center ice less than six minutes into the game. And when he stayed down and struggled to get to all fours, everyone inside The Garden was thinking the same thing, “Please, not his head, again.” After being helped from the ice, favoring his left leg, Chytil returned later in the first period and finished the game.

Chytil even scored a power-play goal in that third-period comeback and has three points (two goals, one assist) now in his first two preseason games.

Adam Edstrom, Matt Rempe state their cases

Towering forwards Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe each drew praise from Laviolette after the win. They helped form an effective fourth line with center Jake Leschyshyn, taking regular shifts with decent playing time (Rempe – 14:21, Edstrom – 13:49).

“They were good, they were working,” Laviolette said . “They were the one line that was putting it behind them (the Islanders) … generating some (offensive) zone time. They did some good things.”

Edstrom scored the game-winning goal in the final minute of regulation, deflecting a Jacob Trouba shot into the net. He also assisted on Jones’ breakaway goal that made it 3-1, a perfect outlet pass that sprung the young defenseman.

The 23-year-old also was credited with four hits and received a two-minute minor for cross-checking Islanders forward Hudson Fasching.

Rempe led all players with six hits, refused to be goaded into any fights and won three of five face-offs. The popular 6-foot-8 forward had a good scoring chance late in the second period, beating everyone up ice, then wiring a shot from the right circle which required a sharp blocker save by Islanders goalie Henrik Tikkanen.

This is going to be an intriguing battle for the final lineup spot on the fourth line.

What big comeback means for Rangers and Islanders

It was a feel-good win and comeback for the Rangers. Six goals in the third period, five straight to close out the game and four in a span of 2:01. Doesn’t matter that it’s the preseason, that’s some good stuff.

And the fact that Jones scored two of those goals, Trouba was active in that mix and Edstrom netted the clutch game-winner? Yup, all very good signs.

But let’s take a breath and realize that Tikkanen is not an NHL goalie, though he does have two seasons of minor pro experience. He also didn’t get much help when things snowballed against the Islanders. And that’s the bigger story for them.

The Islanders nearly missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season because of all the blown third-period leads on their ledger, 12 total, tied for second-most in the NHL. Is that demon rearing its head again? Sure looked that way Tuesday night at MSG.

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