NY Islanders (17-33-6) at NY Rangers (30-22-6) 7:00 p.m. EST

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- The New York Rangers hope a visit from

their cross-town rivals can help stop a slide that has them

plummeting in the Eastern Conference standings.

Losers of eight of their last nine (1-6-2), the Rangers look to

get back in the win column when they host the last-place New

York Islanders on Wednesday.

The Rangers' 10-2-1 start to the season seems like a distant

memory thanks to a scoring blackout. In each of their last

eight losses, they have scored two goals or less and now rank

last in the NHL with 2.33 goals per game.

Now in a four-way tie for fifth place in the East at 66 points

with Montreal, Florida and Buffalo, the Rangers will have to

work to keep what once appeared to be a sure playoff berth as

the NHL stretch run heats up.

Lauri Korpikoski scored the only goal and All-Star Henrik

Lundqvist made 31 saves in a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on

Monday.

The Islanders have dropped three of four contests against the

Rangers this season and remain seven points behind Atlanta for

worst record in the league.

Joey MacDonald made 35 saves and stopped both All-Star Evgeni

Malkin and captain Sidney Crosby in the shootout to lift the

Islanders to a 3-2 win Monday, snapping a five-game losing

streak.