The New York Rangers lost their second game to the New York Islanders in the span of two days, suffering a 2-1 defeat on Thursday night, as the absence of Artemi Panarin is clearly taking a toll on the team.

J.T. Miller’s postgame comments sparked backlash from Rangers fans, with many accusing the captain of giving the same scripted answers.

NEW YORK (AP) — Carson Soucy scored against the team that traded him 72 hours earlier, Matthew Schaefer got the 14th goal of his stellar rookie year and the New York Islanders defeated the Rangers 2-1 on Thursday night.

With the retool official and the Rangers looking for trade partners, who might they get back? Let's break it down.

Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out.

Keeping Panarin out of the lineup for roster management purposes now means the Rangers are either close to moving him or protecting him from injury because of the intent to trade him. "The team decided to go in a different direction," Panarin said following a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 17. "I'm OK with that."

Ondrej Palat scored the opening goal and added an assist in his debut with the New York Islanders, who defeated their cross-town rival New York Rangers 5-2 on Wednesday night.

For the first time in nearly eight years, the Rangers lost every game to the Islanders in a single campaign. The regular-season series sweep is one thing, but the nature of each Rangers defeat signaled a turning point in the long-standing rivalry.

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Rangers are not doing anything to risk Artemi Panarin's health as they look to deal him before the NHL trade deadline. Panarin is not expected to play in any Rangers games through at least the Olympic break for roster management purposes,

The New York Rangers appear to be on the verge of moving on from one of the greatest free-agent signings in franchise history. Multiple reports indicate Artemi Panarin has likely played his final game in a Rangers uniform,

Matthew Schaefer moved past a couple of Hall of Fame defensemen in the hunt for separate records, and the New York Islanders completed a four-game regular-season sweep of the New York Rangers, winning 2-1 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Rangers after Connor Dewar's two-goal game against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Penguins' 6-2 win