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Islanders look to gain ground on rival Rangers

Mar 6, 2008 - 2:16 PM NY Rangers (34-24-9) at NY Islanders (32-29-7) 7:00 pm EST

UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) - The New York Islanders have little room for error down the stretch if they hope to make the playoffs. They will be looking to make up some ground when they host the rival New York Rangers on Thursday.

The teams will be meeting for the second time in two days after the Islanders earned a 4-3 shootout victory at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Backup goaltender Wade Dubielewicz made 27 saves and stopped three more shots in the shootout and Jeff Tambellini scored in the sixth round of the shootout to lead the Islanders.

Dubielewicz was making his second straight start in place of Rick DiPietro, who did not have a chance to practice after attending his grandmother's funeral.

With Dubielewicz stopping the Rangers in the shootout, the Islanders picked up their fourth win in the season series (4-1-0) when Tambellini raced in and rifled a shot past Rangers' goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

The victory pulled the Islanders (71 points) within three points of the Philadelphia Flyers (33-26-8) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Tuesday's loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Rangers (77 points), who now sit in seventh place in the East.

All four of the Islanders wins in the series have come by one goal, though Tuesday's was the first to go past regulation.