Andrew Copp’s hat trick propels Rangers past rival Islanders
Just over a year ago, the Islanders repeatedly beat on the Rangers to prepare for the playoffs.
And now, the roles are reversed.
The Rangers were the team that had something to play for Thursday night at UBS Arena, and they looked as such in a convincing 6-3 win over the Isles that officially clinched home ice in the first round of the postseason. The victory also maintained the Rangers’ tie with the Hurricanes for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
“We want to play in front of our fans,” Ryan Strome said. “I think we’re more comfortable at home, just with that energy the crowd can provide. We’ve done a great job on the road this year, but anytime you get to play at home at MSG is pretty special.”
Behind a four-assist performance from Artemi Panarin and a first-period hat trick from Andrew Copp, the Blueshirts controlled this one from start to finish. However, Copp’s night of raising his free-agency price tag was spoiled when he headed to the locker room and didn’t play the final 8:05 of the third period.
The Rangers said Copp suffered a lower-body injury, which the team will have more of an update on after practice on Friday.
Additionally, Filip Chytil exited in the third period as well and remained in the locker room for roughly the final 10 ½ minutes. Gerard Gallant said Chytil was “a little sore” after getting cross-checked in the first period, but the head coach insinuated he thought it wasn’t anything serious.
The budding chemistry of the Rangers’ second line was in full swing in the win. Copp became the first Rangers skater to record a natural hat trick in the first period since Don Raleigh did it on Feb. 25, 1948, and just the third player in franchise history. It was also just the second hat trick of his career.
Since being traded to the Rangers, Copp has eight goals and 10 assists in 15 games. He’s been a dynamic addition to the Panarin-Strome duo, which collaborated in the final seconds of the second period to give the Rangers a 5-1 lead on Strome’s career-best 20th goal.
“Four games left, we want to keep it going and keep improving,” said Strome, who threaded a pass across the top of the crease for Copp’s third goal in the opening frame. “[Copp has] fit in really nicely. He can take some draws on the left side and he does a lot of good things. Obviously, Bread on the left side to pass to is nice. I think as long as me and him realize that one of us have to go to the net and go through the middle to create some space, we’ll be successful.
“It’s been a good fit. Credit to him, it’s not always easy to come into a new team and all that stuff. He’s done a great job and fits in our group really well.”
Despite the injuries, the win is particularly notable for the Rangers because it came against Islanders netminder Semyon Varlamov, who has been a problem for them the past two seasons. Prior to Thursday’s contest, Varlamov had posted a 0.95 goals-against average, a staggering .963 save percentage and five shutouts in 505:45 against the Rangers.
Varlamov ultimately gave up six goals on 23 shots, which led to the eliminated Islanders’ third loss in a row. The Isles ended the Rangers’ shutout streak at 200:43, which dates back to their 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes on April 12, when Brock Nelson scored his first of two goals on the night 37 seconds into the middle frame.
Chris Kreider’s 51st goal of the season on the power play and Strome’s late second-period tally, however, kept the Rangers comfortably ahead. Even with Nelson’s second of the game on the power play and Josh Bailey’s score at 13:22 of the third sandwiching Ryan Reaves’ fourth of the season, the Rangers finished strong.
It was a drastic turnaround from the Rangers’ shutout loss to the Islanders at the beginning of the month, which was reminiscent of how this Battle of New York has played out in the Isles’ favor over the past couple of seasons.
But the Rangers are in the process of changing the narrative.