Here's Stan Fischler's 10 keys to the New York Rangers pulling out a seventh-straight victory at MetLife against the New York Islanders.
Here's Stan Fischler's 10 keys to the New York Rangers pulling out a seventh-straight victory at MetLife against the New York Islanders.
1. No matter their standings, this upcoming Rangers-Isles outdoor festival has me at the edge of my seat already, and it's not even game time.
2. The onus is all on the Islanders. A Rangers loss will be nothing to the Blueshirts, standings-wise.
3. No team in the Met Conference will dislodge the Seventh Avenue Skaters from first place, and that's that.
4. An Islanders win could finally wake them up to a drive toward a playoff berth.
5. The pressure -- whether he'll admit it or not -- is on Patrick Roy to get his guys to play hard, play smart, and do it relentlessly.
6. Any goalie battle among close pals is fascinating, but Ilya Sorokin vs. Igor Shesterkin has an extra special quality about it. Kinda fun intensity.
7. The two Oak Trees On Skates -- Matt Rempe and Alan Edstrom -- should give the Rangers an intimidating edge.
8. This figures to be the last season in which we see the Isles "Identity Line" intact; and that's the best reason for them to play as hard -- but wise -- a game they've played all season.
9. Good News For All Fans: The temperature won't be seven-degrees windchill the way it was when Rangers beat Isles, 2-1 at that ridiculously frigid Yankee Stadium game long, long ago.
10. This goes into the Hard To Believe Department: No matter who wins on the ice, the NHL wins in the end. By the time this game is over, more than 141,000 fans will have seen two major league hockey games within 24 hours on an NFL field.