Alexis Lafrenière scored a hat trick as the Rangers defeated the Islanders 5-2 on Tuesday. His final two goals came within 32 seconds of each other late in the game when head coach Mike Sullivan trusted him in crucial defensive situations with the opposing team’s goalie pulled. This trust reflects Lafrenière’s improved defensive play, which has earned him opportunities to contribute offensively in critical moments. Coach Sullivan noted that Lafrenière still has untapped potential and praised his ability to draw penalties and clear the zone effectively.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The New York Rangers defeated their cross-town rivals, the Islanders, with a score of 5-2 on Tuesday night, marking their fourth consecutive win and third straight at home. Captain Alexis Lafrenière led the charge by scoring a hat trick, including two goals into an empty net. Other key contributors included Oliver Bjorkstrand, who also scored twice, and Mika Zibanejad with three assists. The Rangers' victory came after a 241-day gap since their last win against the Islanders on April 10, 2025. Goalie Igor Shesterkin made 17 saves, but his point streak ended at two games. This match showcased the Rangers’ improved defensive structure and balanced scoring across their lineup, setting an encouraging tone for the new season despite the Islanders' strong performance last year.
Written for “Rangers vs Islanders Rivalry” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.
The first goal in Alexis Lafrenière’s eventual hat trick Tuesday showcased what the Rangers have known, the offensive flashes they’ve always tried to make sustainable with the No. 1 pick in 2020.
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they → showcase → 2020
tRY IT NOWBut the final two, which occurred 32 seconds apart in the third period of their 5-2 win, captured another step for Lafrenière.
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which → try → Lafrenière
His defensive game has earned the trust of head coach Mike Sullivan in 5-on-6 situations — when opponents have their goaltender pulled while trailing late — recently, and during the past two wins, Lafrenière has rewarded that belief.
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Lafrenière → earn → belief
“It means a lot,” Lafrenière said postgame of Sullivan’s trust in those situations.
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Lafrenière → mean → situations
“You always want to be out there late in games, either when you’re down one, up one, whatever it is.
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it → want → one
That serves as another layer of the phrase Sullivan used Monday, when he said that Lafrenière — after a strong finish last year to a 24-goal, 57-point campaign — still has “untapped potential.”
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Lafrenière → serve → potential
There’s more that the Rangers coaching staff will “try to pull out of him,” Sullivan said.
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Sullivan → ’ → him
That was the case again Tuesday, when Mika Zibanejad slid a pass to him from his knees early in the second period and Lafrenière ripped a shot past Semyon Varlamov, off the crossbar and in.
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Lafrenière → slide → crossbar
Those moments have been fleeting for most of his Blueshirts career, but Sullivan stuck by his top line of Lafrenière, Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault early in the season in hopes of capturing what made them the Rangers’ most dynamic group to end 2024-25.
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them → stick → 2024
Their production Tuesday, which helped extend their winning streak to four games, was another sign that Sullivan’s strategy has started to pay off.
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strategy → extend → games
The chance that Sullivan described as an earned responsibility.
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Sullivan → describe → responsibility
He flipped the pair of pucks into the Islanders net after the Rangers cleared their zone, and with just over 40 seconds remaining Sunday, Lafrenière blocked a shot by Utah’s Dylan Guenther before drawing a penalty.
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Lafrenière → flip → penalty
Through five games, he sits in a tie for third in the NHL with four penalties drawn.
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he → sit → penalties
“We think that he’s a guy that’s very capable there, so we’re challenging him there to bring a defensive conscience in those situations — and he gets rewarded with some empty-net opportunities,” Sullivan said postgame Tuesday.
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Sullivan → think → opportunities
“We’re not just handing that stuff to [Lafrenière].
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We → hand → Lafrenière
We think he’s earned that, and that’s why we’ve given him that opportunity. …
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we → think → opportunity
His complete game on both sides of the puck continues to grow and develop.”
Rangers legend Mark Messier dished out plenty of praise for 18-year-old defenseman Alberts Smits — the No. 5 overall pick in June’s draft who proceeded to make the opening night lineup — during the second intermission Tuesday.
“He’s played four games in the National Hockey League,” Messier, now an NHL analyst, said on ESPN, “and he’s looked like he’s playing 400 games in the National Hockey League.
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he → continue → League
His nuances and the subtleties of his game are unparalleled for anybody I’ve seen play this position.
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I → see → position
He’s not gonna be on the highlight offensive reels there, but this is the kind of guy you win Stanley Cups with because he does all the subtleties — he’s a shutdown defenseman that’s only 18 years old.”
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that → go → subtleties
The Aporia
