New York, NY (Sports Network) - Joey MacDonald turned in a superlative effort between the pipes, making 35 saves, and the New York Islanders edged the New York Rangers, 2-1, at Madison Square Garden.
Nate Thompson and Richard Park each scored a short-handed goal in the third period for the Islanders, who have won two games in a row after a six-game losing streak.
Markus Naslund lit the lamp and Henrik Lundqvist allowed two goals on 19 shots for the Rangers, who were coming off Saturday's tough loss to Toronto, when the Maple Leafs exploded for five unanswered goals in a span of 5:21 in the third period to come away with a 5-2 decision and snapped New York's four-game winning streak.
The Islanders finally ended a scoreless duel early in the third period. With Mark Streit serving a tripping minor for the visiting squad, Thompson chipped the puck past a pinching Rangers defender and headed the other way on a odd- man rush with Frans Nielsen. Thompson gained the zone along the left side and dished to his linemate, streaking down the middle. Nielsen's shot got a piece of Lundqvist, then bounced off the far post. Thompson followed up the play and backhanded the disc out of the air at 3:18 for his first career NHL point.
Moments later, the Rangers went back on the power play, looking to even the score, but, once again, the puck wound up in the back of their net. Park blocked Michal Rozsival's intended cross-ice pass, gathered the loose puck in the neutral zone, skated in and ripped a shot from inside the left circle past Lundqvist eight minutes into the frame. It was the Isles' sixth short-handed goal of the season.
Naslund's quick shot with Lundqvist on the bench for an extra skater put the Rangers on the board with 1:41 remaining, but the Isles were able to come away with the win.
