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Rangers-Islanders Preview

Oct 28, 2009 - 5:09 PM By PAUL DIGIACOMO STATS Senior Editor

New York (8-3-1) at New York (1-4-5), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The New York Rangers easily handled the rival New York Islanders in 2008-09. The way the first few weeks of this season have gone for both teams, that dominance looks like it will continue.

The short-handed Rangers try to add to their strong start and hand the Islanders another loss Wednesday night when they play the first of six meetings this season.

The Rangers have jumped out to an 8-3-1 start while the Islanders are tied with Toronto for the fewest wins in the NHL, going 1-4-5.

Last season, the Rangers went 5-1-0 against the Islanders and won all three meetings at Nassau Coliseum.

The Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak Monday with a 5-2 home win over Phoenix. Marian Gaborik scored two goals, giving him 10 on the season, and added an assist, but the veteran right wing left the game with an undisclosed injury and won't play Wednesday.

The Rangers said the injury wasn't related to any ailment that limited him to 17 games with Minnesota last season.

Gaborik, who had 23 points in 2008-09, has a team-high 18 in his first season with the Rangers after playing for the Wild from 2000-09.

"He adds a different level that we haven't had since (Jaromir) Jagr," said Henrik Lundqvist, who made 30 saves against the Coyotes. "He brings it every night. He has been huge for us."

The Islanders' team leader in goals (five) and points (nine) is Matt Moulson, a third-year left wing who has appeared in 39 career games. Moulson had an assist in Monday's 3-2 overtime loss at Montreal, the Islanders' league-high fifth defeat after regulation.

They have lost three in a row (0-1-2) since beating Carolina 4-3 in a shootout last Wednesday for their only win.

"We're playing some great games," goaltender Martin Biron said. "We've played one game that was really, really bad out of 10, and that was the game against Montreal here last week (5-1 loss). We've gone to overtime six times so one bounce one way or the other and it could be a different thing and that's the positive we've got to take out of it."

A bright spot early in the season for the Islanders was the play of John Tavares, the top overall pick in June's draft. The 19-year-old center recorded three goals and four assists in his first six games, but he's been held without a point in his last four.

Left wing Jeff Tambellini has picked up the slack, scoring three goals - two Monday - in four games since being a healthy scratch for five straight. He also scored in the shootout to help the Islanders beat the Hurricanes last week.

"Jeff's a guy who's got a boatload of talent," Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton said. "He needs to get some confidence at this level and he can really score."

The Rangers won the season series with the Islanders in 2008-09 after going 6-7-3 in the previous two campaigns.