Kakko scores late to lead Rangers to 5-3 win over Islanders

Updated Dec. 22, 2022 9:58 p.m. ET

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Kaapo Kakko scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:47 remaining and the New York Rangers rallied for a 5-3 win over the crosstown-rival Islanders on Thursday night for their eighth win in nine games.

Barclay Goodrow had a goal and two assists, Julien Gauthier had a goal and an assist, and Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck also scored for the Rangers. Igor Shesterkin stopped 15 shots to improve to 2-7-1 in 10 career games against the Islanders.

Mathew Barzal and Alexander Romanov each had a goal and an assist, and Anders Lee also scored for the Islanders, who lost for the fifth time in six games. Ilya Sorokin finished with 29 saves.

The Rangers tied it 3-3 at 3:00 of the third period as Gauthier's shot from the left point deflected off Goodrow in front and past Sorokin. It was Goodrow's eighth of the season.

Mika Zibanejad's one-timer hit off a goalpost and landed under Sorokin with 11:17 remaining, and the Islanders' Jean-Gabriel Pageau hit a goalpost behind Shesterkin nearly four minutes later.

Kakko gave the Rangers their first lead when he deposited a pass from K'Andre Miller from the left corner past Sorokin from the right side for his ninth of the season and fifth goal in eight games.

Trocheck added an empty-netter for his 12th with 1:32 left to seal the win as the Rangers bounced back after a 3-2 loss at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night that ended a season-high seven-game win streak.

Barzal gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead at 2:39 of the second period. After Josh Bailey knocked the puck away from Kakko near center ice, Barzal picked up the loose puck and sped off on breakaway, skated in on Shesterkin, got the goalie to go down and lifted a backhander over him from the left side for his fifth of the season.

Gauthier tied it at 5:30 with a backhander on a breakaway after the Islanders turned the puck over at the other end. It was Gauthier's fifth.

Romanov gave the Islanders their third lead of the night at 8:45 with a slap shot from the left point after a drop pass from Barzal. It came on the Islanders' ninth shot on goal of the game and was the 22-year-old Russian defenseman's first goal of the season after being acquired from Montreal on July 7.

Sorokin made a nice sliding pad stop on a short-handed breakaway by Goodrow with 3:14 left in the middle period to preserve the Islanders' lead.

Lee got the Islanders on the scoreboard first with 7:12 remaining in the opening period as his centering pass from the goal line on the right side deflected off the left skate of Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren in front and past Shesterkin. It was Lee's 11th of the season and third in seven games.

Panarin tied it on a Rangers power play with a one-timer from the left circle off a cross-ice pass from Mika Zibanejad inside the left post before Sorokin could slide over with 2:46 left in the first. It was Panarin's ninth.

SURGING

Panarin now has three goals and 16 points over his last 11 games. ... D Adam Fox had an assist on Panarin's first-period goal, giving him 28 assists and 35 points on the season. He is third among NHL defenseman in assists, trailing only Winnipeg's Josh Morrissey (32) and San Jose's Erik Karlsson (30).

SIDELINED

Islanders C Casey Cizikas left the game midway through the second period and did not return.

UP NEXT

Islanders: Host Florida on Friday night to open a three-game homestand.

Rangers: Host Washington on Tuesday night to finish a two-game homestand.

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