Access the Rangers beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting member-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers. tRY IT NOW There haven’t been many Battles of New York in recent memory with as many playoff implications as the last couple games between the Rangers and Islanders.

This time it came from Igor Shesterkin as he helped lead the team to a 4-0 win over the New York Islanders. The hero of the first period had to go be Will Cuylle. He scored the game’s first goal off of his head while taking a hit that led to Will Borgen’s shorthanded goals and gave the Rangers a commanding 2-0 lead.

As they continue to reshape their roster, the New York Rangers did not play forward Reilly Smith, 33, on Sunday in a 4-0 win over the Nashville Predators for roster management reasons, as he is a likely candidate to be traded before Friday's NHL deadline.

NHL trade deadline looms, the New York Rangers are playing it safe with pending unrestricted free agent Reilly Smith, who won’t play Sunday versus the Nashville Predators due to trade-related reasons,

Panarin gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 8:32 of the first period on a slap shot from the right circle on a partial breakaway. Alexis Lafreniere made a cross-ice pass to Panarin through the neutral zone, and he beat Annunen glove side.